Determination of eggplant viruses in eastern mediterranean region

Surveys were carried out to determine the prevalence some viruses infecting eggplant (Solanum melongena) in eastern Mediterranean region, in the summer and autumn of 2014-2015. A total of 296 symptomatic plant samples exhibiting mottling, vein, yellowing and curling on leaves and stunting with poor fruit set, were collected from different eggplant fields located in Adana, Mersin, Kahramanmaras, Osmanye and Hatay provinces. First of all, the samples were tested serologically by Double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA), using commercial antisera kits for Alfalfa mosaic virus, Eggplant mottled dwarf virus, Potato virus Y, Tomato yellow leaf curl virus and Tobacco ringspot virus. The assay showed the presence of Eggplant mottled dwarf virus (EMDV), which belongs to Rhabdoviridae family, in 28 (25.9%) eggplant samples, whereas the results for the other viruses were negative. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using EMDV specific primers confirmed the results in seven samples. The positive samples gave the expected band size of 600 bp in 2% agarose gel. In addition, mechanical inoculation studies with the selected EMDV isolate included indicator plants, such as Nicotiana glutinosa, Nicotiana tobacum, Nicotiana rustica and Cucumis sativus. Both ELISA and RT-PCR performed for some of the samples collected, confirmed that EMDV infects eggplant in eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey.