Archivio Journal of Plant Pathology

Abstract:

The host range and molecular variation of several Iranian isolates of Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) were investigated. Of 1,119 symptomatic cucurbit samples and one symptomatic weed species (Colocynth; Citrullus colocynthis) collected from 13 Iranian provinces, 430 samples were ZYMV-infected as indicated by DASELISA. Twenty one viral isolates were chosen for biological and molecular characterizations based on their host range and geographical distribution. Based on biological properties, the isolates clustered in three groups. Isolates of group I and II, induced similar symptoms on watermelon, Chenopodium quinoa and C. amaranticolor, whereas isolates of group III produced different symptoms. The complete coat protein (CP) gene, the N-terminal coding region of the CP gene and the C-terminal part of the polymerase gene (NIb) of the 21 isolates were amplified by PCR, cloned and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis using the 836 bp fragment comprising the complete CP gene and the 250 bp of NIb-CP fragment showed that ZYMV isolates clustered in three groups. Iranian isolates belonged to group I which was divided into two subgroups, IA and IB.