Partial Characterisation of a Cherry Isolate of a Newly Emerging Stone Fruit Virus: Plum Bark Necrosis Stem Pitting Associated Virus

Abstract

Plum bark necrosis stem pitting associated virus (PBNSPaV) has occurred globally over the last two decades and is becoming one of the major agricultural issues of stone fruits. The virus was detected for the first time in plums and has been reported in the other stone fruit species. The agent, whose dissemination mode is still unknown, has been first reported in cherries in Turkey grown in Malatya province. In this study, the K1 isolate of PBNSPaV, identified in a sweet cherry plant with severe stem pitting and gumming symptoms on its trunk, was partially characterised. A fragment of Hsp70h gene located on ORF3 of viral genome has been cloned, sequenced and analysed phylogenetically (Accession number. FJ231498). The PBNSPaV-K1 isolate showed 93-96% nucleotide sequence identity to sequences of Italian and American isolates in databases. An RNA probe has been raised for fast and reliable detection of the agent by molecular hybridisation. The studies on development of genome specific primers for the detection of the isolate by one-tube RT-PCR have failed. © 2011 Taylor & Francis.