Indian Journal of Virology

  • Year: 2009
  • Volume: 20
  • Issue: 1

P-70. Molecular evidence for Little cherry virus 1 infection on cherry in India

  • Author:
  • R. Nagar1, S. Noorani1, B. Komorowska3, S.R. Singh2, V. Hallan1, A.A. Zaidi1
  • Total Page Count: 1
  • DOI:
  • Page Number: 45 to 45

1Plant Virus Lab, Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR), Himachal Pradesh-176 061, India.

3Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture, ul. Pomologiczna 18,96–100 Skierniewice, Poland.

2Department of Pomology, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences & Technology, Srinagar, J&K, India.

Abstract

Cherry (Prunus spp.) is an important temperate fruit crop (family Rosaceae), susceptible to infection by many viruses: Little cherry virus-1& 2 (LChV), Cherry virus A, Cherry green ring mottle virus, Cherry necrotic rusty virus. LChV-1 is an important mealybug (Phenacoccus aceris) transmitted virus (an unassigned species in the family closteroviridae;). LChV-1 in association with LChV-2 and separately can cause little cherry disease (LChD). As a result of this disease, yield losses of up to 25–60% have been reported. Samples were collected from plants showing chlorotic spot and necrotic rings on leaves and smaller fruit size from cherry growing region of India: Srinagar (J&K) and Shimla (H.P.). For the identification/detection of LChV-1, the samples were tested using dot blot using cloned probe encompassing 3’-UTR. Positive results were obtained in dot blot from 8 out of 64 samples from both the locations. RNA was isolated from the positive leaf samples by RNeasy Plant mini kit (Qiagen, Germany). RT- PCR was performed using primers LCV1U16390 and LCV1L16890. Two out of eight positive samples from Lupin and Stella varieties gave an amplification of ~400 bp, which was sequenced (388 bp on sequencing; EMBL accession no. FM211646). The nucleotide sequence was analysed and compared with the other reported sequences. The sequence exhibited nucleotide and protein similarity level of 93% and 89–90% respectively. This is the first report confirming the presence of LChV-1 in cherry from India.