FIRST REPORT OF CITRUS PSOROSIS VIRUS IN SYRIA

Abstract

Citrus psorosis virus (CPsV) is one of the oldest known graft-transmissible viruses of citrus. It causes typical bark scaling lesions in the trunk and limb of sweet orange, mandarin, grapefruit and other citrus spp. During spring 2011, a total of 250 symptomatic and asymptomatic trees, including 100 from a mother block in Lattakia governorate and 150 from six commercial orchards located in Jableh, Tartous and Lattakia areas were sampled to assess the presence of CPsV. All collected samples were analyzed by DAS-ELISA according to Potere et al. (1999) using a commercial kit (Agritest, Italy). Results indicated the presence of CPsV in two Navel Orange trees located in Lattakia. The presence of CPsV was confirmed in these trees by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using primers consF (5'- ACAAAGAAATTCCCTGCAAGGG-3') and consR (5'-AAGTTTCTATCATTCTGAAACCC-3') that target part of the CPsV coat protein gene (Roy et al., 2005) with the amplification of the expected size (411 bp) DNA product. The RT-PCR product was cloned and sequenced. The sequence of CPsV isolate SYR-C7 (GenBank accession No. HG964696) showed 97% nucleotide identity with Italian CPsV isolates (GenBank accession Nos AM235964 and AY194917). Symptoms associated to CPsV were observed in Syria (Bove, 1995) but the causal agent had yet to be identified. To our knowledge, this is the first CPsV detection in Syria by serological and molecular assays.