Detection of pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) in pepper growing areas of Isparta province by serological and molecular methods

This study was conducted to detect the presence of pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) during the 2023-2024 vegetation period in pepper cultivation areas of Isparta province. Atotal of 200 plant samples, suspected to be infected with PMMoV based on symptomatological observations were collected. All samples were tested using the DAS-ELISA (Double Antibody Sandwich Enzyme Linked Assay method) with antibodies specific to PMMoV. As a result of DAS-ELISA methods, 19 out of the 200 samples were found to be infected with this virus. In this study, the 19 samples that tested positive by DAS-ELISA methos were used in IC-RT-PCR (Immunocapture Reverse Transcription Polimerase Chain Reaction) method. In PCR method, 836 bp fragments of RdRp gene of PMMoV was successfully amplified and a virus specific band of the expected size was observed on the agarose gel. In this study was confirmed first time the presence of PMMoV in pepper areas in Isparta province both and serological and molecular.