Detection and Characterization of Tomato spotted wilt virus and Cucumber mosaic virus on Pepper Growing Areas in Antalya

Abstract

The most efficient method to control the plant virus diseases is breeding resistant cultivars. However, the resistance could be broken down after using resistant cultivars. This study was aimed to determine the prevalence and also serological and molecular characterization of Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) that cause infections, especially, in resistant pepper cultivars. For this reason, samples were collected from pepper growing greenhouses and open fields during vegetation period of 2015 in different parts of Antalya province including Kumluca, Demre, Serik and Aksu districts. Out of 148 pepper samples collected, 53 (35.81%) were infected with TSWV and 11 (7.34%) with CMV as a result of Double-Antibody Sandwich Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (DASELISA) test. Some regions on S RNA (nucleocapsid protein gene), M RNA (glycoprotein gene) and L RNA (RNAdependent RNA polymerase gene) of TSWV genome; RNA 1 (helicase/methyltransferase gene) and RNA 3 (coat protein gene) of CMV genome of DAS-ELISA positive samples were amplified by RT-PCR with specific primers. Nucleotide similarity rates of nucleocapsid protein gene, glycoprotein gene and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene regions of TSWV isolate varied between 92-98% identity with other isolates in GenBank and CMV isolate varied between 89-96%. TSWV isolate showed nucleotide identity varied between 92-97% with Tsw resistance breaking isolates from Capsicum plants in Turkey, Italy and Spain. Genetic determinant for overcoming pepper Tsw resistance is located in S segment but aminoacid substitutions responsible for TSWV breakdown remain contradictory in several reports.