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First Report of Cucumber vein yellowing virus on Cucumber, Melon, and Watermelon in Iran

Several viral diseases are responsible for significant economic losses in commercial cucurbit production worldwide. During a survey conducted in July 2002 in cucurbit growing areas in southern Iran, vein-clearing symptoms and leaf chlorosis on older leaves were observed on a cucumber plant near Jiroft (Kerman Province). These symptoms were similar to those caused by Cucumber vein yellowing virus (CVYV, genus Ipomovirus, family Potyviridae), a virus first described in Israel (1) and now widespread in cucurbit crops in the Middle East and Mediterranean Regions (2). The identification of CVYV was established through differential host range reaction and immunosorbent electron microscopy (IEM) experiments. Typical vein-clearing symptoms were observed following mechanical inoculation of cucumber and melon plantlets, but no symptoms were observed in Chenopodium quinoa, C. amaranticolor, Nicotiana tabacum, or Vigna sinensis. Numerous, slightly flexuous, elongated virus particles were observed in infected plant extracts. The particles were decorated by a polyclonal antiserum raised against a Sudanese isolate of CVYV. To confirm CVYV identification, total RNA extracts (TRI-Reagent, Sigma Chemical, St. Louis, MO) were obtained from the original cucumber sample. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR) were carried out using CVYV-specific primers CVYV-CP-5′: 5′-GCTTCTGGTTCTCAAGTGGA-3′ and CVYV-CP-3′: 5′-GATGCATCAGTTGTCAGATG-3′ designed according to the partial sequence of the coat protein gene of CVYV-Isr (GenBank Accession No. AF233429) (2). A 540-bp fragment corresponding to the central region of CVYV coat protein was obtained from extracts of infected plants but not from healthy plant extracts. Additional watermelon (n = 6) and melon (n = 4) leaf samples collected from plants growing in the same farm were tested for the presence of CVYV using RT-PCR. All samples reacted positively for CVYV. However, a sample of Citrullus colocynthis, a wild relative of watermelon growing nearby, was negative. CVYV was not detected using RT-PCR in 123 additional cucurbit samples collected from the eastern and central regions of Iran during a survey conducted in 2002. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the occurrence of CVYV in Iran. Additional surveys in southern regions where Bemisia tabaci, the vector of CVYV, is abundant are required to better estimate the prevalence of this virus in cucurbit crops in Iran.

References: (1) S. Cohen and F. E. Nitzany. Phytopathol. Mediterr. 1:44, 1960 (2) H. Lecoq et al. J. Gen. Virol. 81:2289, 2000.