DETECTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF BEET MOSAIC POTY VIRUS (BTMV) INFECTING SUGAR BEET PLANTS IN EGYPT

Abstract

The virus was isolated from naturally infected sugar beet plants and identified as BtMV
according to symptomatology, host range, and modes of transmission, electron microscopy and
immunological and molecular detection. Host range studies revealed that, BtMV infected 28 plant
species belonging to 6 families. BtMV was not easily sap transmitted, not transmitted through seeds
but was readily transmitted by Myzus persicae Sulz. and Aphis fabae Scorp. The electron microscope
preparations revealed flexuous filamentous virus particles 715-775 nm in length. The purified virion
protein of BtMV and the total protein extracted from infected beet tissues showed a strong cross
reaction with Bean Yellow Mosaic virus (BYMV) polyclonal antibodies in dot blot immunoassay
indicating a higher degree of relatedness. First strand cDNA synthesis of BtMV was synthesized by
priming the 3 terminal poly (A) tail of the viral RNA with Oligo (dT). For cDNA amplification,
Potyvirus specific primers corresponding to the non-coding region upstream of the coat protein gene
was used. A PCR fragment of the expected size approximately 220 bp was amplified and its size was
estimated by agarose gel electrophoresis.