1Plant Molecular Biology Lab, Department of Horticulture, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bangalore, Karnataka
2Virology Lab, NRCB, Tiruchirapalli, Tamilnadu
3Virology Lab, IIHR, Hessaraghatta, Karnataka, E-mail: neppi@reduffmail.com.
Abstracts of the papers presented at the International Conference of Indian Virological Society on “Emerging and Re-emerging viral Diseases of the Tropics and Subtropics” at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India, December 11–14, 2007.
The occurrence of viruses is a serious threat to not only for the production of banana plants (Musa spp.) but also in the conservation of different species/cultivars as genetic resources. Banana bract mosaic (BBrMV) is a relatively new, non-persistently aphid transmitted disease found in India, particularly in its South pats. Partially purified preparations from virus infected plants contained numerous flexuous rod shaped particles measuring 725 nm in length and 10–12 nm in diameter. The viral coat protein from purified virus preparation was analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western Blot and its molecular weight (38k Da) was determined. In ELISA the crude sap of infected banana tissue cross reacted with PVY. This indicated that BBrMV was serologically related to PVY. DIBA also gave similar results but for one symptomatic leaf that gave high reaction. The results showed the specificity and reliability of BBrMV antiserum. In this study a PCR based detection of the virus for indexing banana plants is developed. Total nucleic acid was extracted by using RNA-isolation kit and C-DNA was synthesized using M-MuLV reverse transcriptase and reverse primer. Polymerase chain reaction was carried out using bract mosaic specific primers (Bract 1 and Bract2). A PCR product of expected size 604 bp was amplified only from infected samples. The PCR based detection was more precise and highly efficient than that detected by ELISA. The feasibility of these techniques is present in detail.
