Detection, biological and molecular characterization of viruses that found chrysanthemum production areas in Izmir city

This study was conducted to determine the presence and prevalence of viral infections on intensive chrysanthemum production areas in Menderes and Urla districts in 2013-2014. In order to identify viral agents, 100 samples from Menderes, 95 samples from Urla totally 195 samples were collected from symptomatic and asymptomatic plants and were tested by biological and molecular methods. 5 viral agents were investigated by RT-PCR method. The incidence of viral infections was found 33% with RT-PCR method. In Menderes district infection rate was found as 16.5 %. The result of detection studies in Urla district showed that there is no viral infection on samples. Following evaluation of conducted RT-PCR test, biological tests were carried out with 31 samples. Cucumber mosaic virus was the most prevalent virus (9%) in the sample of our work and followed by Chrysanthemum B virus (7%) and Tomato spotted wilt virus (1 sample). As a result of obtained data by RT-PCR detected TSWV isolate sequenced in order to compare similarities with other world isolates. Isolated TSWV agents showed 94% similarity with TSWV Chrysanthemum-16 isolate (GenBank accession number KF146700). Constituted phylogenetic trees with using a variety of programs showed that the isolate was situated in the same group with mentioned world isolates. The present study is important for being first study in our country about the detection virus diseases in chrysanthemum. Key Words: Chrysanthemum, virus, RT-PCR, characterization