Journal of Biotechnology & Biomaterials
Open Access

Abstract

During 2010-2012 growing seasons, severe viral-like symptoms including mosaic, leaves deformation, yellowing, mottling and plant stunting were observed on potato plants growing in Assiut Governorate (Upper Egypt). These viral-like symptoms led to severe loss in potato production compared with plants without obvious symptoms. Mechanical inoculation of sap from symptomatic plants into diagnostic plant species including Nicotiana glutinosa, N. tabacum, Chenopodium amaranticolor, and C. quinoa produced typical viral-like symptoms including local necrotic lesions, mottling and vein clearing. Electron microscopy exanimation showed typical viruses like particles. These particles were either rod shape about 750 nm in length or bacilliform and resemble Potato virus Y (PVY) and Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) particles, respectively. In order to identify these particles through molecular tools, total RNA was extracted from symptomatic leaves and specific primes were used in Reverse Transcription- Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) to amplify coat protein genes of PVY and AMV. Analysis of amplified PCR products through 1% agarose gel electrophoresis showed bands of the expected size of (800 bp and 900 bp) in case of PVY and AMV, respectively. While, RNA extracted from healthy plants were negative with either PVY and AMV (did not show any band). The tested plants were either infected with PVY or AMV separately, or with the two viruses simultaneously. Interestingly, plants which showed severe stunting symptoms were simultaneously infected by both viruses (PVY and AMV). These results prove that PVY and AMV are responsible for severe symptoms occurring on potato plants in Assiut Governorate and mixed infection between PVY and AMV may lead to severe symptoms and great loss in potato production. The possibility of presence of more different viruses infecting potato plants in Assiut Governorate is highly possible and further studies is recommended to determine the exact distribution of viruses infecting potato in Upper Egypt.

Biography

Amal Eraky is a Professor of Plant Pathology, Plant Pathology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt. She completed her PhD at Faculty of Agriculture, University of Hohenheim, Germany (2002). She has more than 20 research publications and attended more than 35 international conferences and workshops. She is one of the editorial board member of e-science Journal of Plant Pathology and Journal of Plant Virology and Biotechnology and a reviewer for African Journals of Biotechnology, E- science Journal of Plant Pathology, Assiut University Bulletin for Environmental Researches, Assiut Journal of Agriculture and Science. She supervised 3 Masters and 3 PhD theses. Her area of interest includes: biological control of plant diseases, mechanisms of resistance of plant viral and fungal diseases and identification and management of viral diseases.