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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #249088

Title: Detection of Strawberry Viruses in Egypt

Author
item RAGAB, AHMED - Ain Shams University Of Cairo
item EL-DOUGDOUG, K - Ain Shams University Of Cairo
item MOUSA, S - Ain Shams University Of Cairo
item ATTIA, A - Ain Shams University Of Cairo
item SOBOLEV, I - Volcani Center (ARO)
item SPIEGEL, S - Volcani Center (ARO)
item FREEMAN, S - Volcani Center (ARO)
item ZEIDAN, M - Ministry Of Agriculture - Israel
item TZANETAKIS, I - Oregon State University
item Martin, Robert

Submitted to: Acta Horticulturae
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/18/2009
Publication Date: 8/3/2009
Citation: Ragab, A., El-Dougdoug, K., Mousa, S., Attia, A., Sobolev, I., Spiegel, S., Freeman, S., Zeidan, M., Tzanetakis, I.E., Martin, R.R. 2009. Detection of Strawberry Viruses in Egypt. Acta Horticulturae. 842:319-322.

Interpretive Summary: A cooperative project, funded by USDAID, has been developed with colleagues in Egypt and Israel to improve the strawberry certification program in Egypt. Diagnostic tests for Strawberry mottle, Strawberry crinkle, Strawberry vein banding (SVBV), Strawberry mild yellow edge (SMYEV), Strawberry chlorotic fleck, Strawberry necrotic shock, Strawberry latent ringspot (SLRSV), Apple mosaic, Fragaria chiloensis latent, Strawberry pallidosis associated (SPaV) and Beet pseudo yellows virus (BPYV) based on PCR were developed and/or evaluated at the USDA-ARS laboratory in Corvallis, Oregon. In addition, positive controls for virus testing of strawberries were prepared at the laboratory in Corvallis, OR, that consisted of dried tissue samples and/or RNA extracts from diseased plants. The controls were shipped to Egypt and Israel under import permits. Collection of strawberry test samples was done in production fields (cultivars unknown) and from nuclear stock plants grown in Egypt (‘Tamar’ and ‘Yael’ originating from Israel). The extracted RNA that can be shipped under ethanol appears to be a better positive control that dried tissue samples; however, this removes the RNA extraction step as part of the control since it is all done at a single facility. Initial testing of strawberry material from fields in Egypt showed that SMYEV, SVBV, BPYV, SLRSV and SPaV were detected in field samples. The plants tested from the nuclear stocks tested negative for each of the viruses tested.

Technical Abstract: As part of a USAID-MERC funded project, ‘Disease-indexing and mass propagation of superior strawberry cultivars’, an effort was made to evaluate the virus status of strawberries in Egypt. Diagnostic reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests for Strawberry mottle, Strawberry crinkle, Strawberry vein banding (SVBV), Strawberry mild yellow edge (SMYEV), Strawberry chlorotic fleck, Strawberry necrotic shock, Strawberry latent ringspot (SLRSV), Apple mosaic, Fragaria chiloensis latent, Strawberry pallidosis associated (SPaV) and Beet pseudo yellows virus (BPYV) were developed and/or evaluated at the USDA-ARS laboratory in Corvallis, Oregon. Positive controls for the testing consisted of dried leaf samples of strawberries infected with each of the above viruses, shipped to Egypt and Israel under import permits. Collection of strawberry test samples was done in production fields (cultivars unknown) and from nuclear stock plants grown in Egypt (‘Tamar’ and ‘Yael’ originating from Israel). RNA extraction was carried out using Qiagen kits or a previously described protocol. Reverse transcription and polymerase chain reactions were carried as per manufacturer’s recommendations. Amplicons were visualized after separation on an agarose gel and staining with ethidium bromide. The RT-PCR detection of viruses from RNA extracted from positive controls that were vacuum dried was successful for several but not all of the viruses used in this study. Thus, extracted RNA that can be shipped under ethanol may be a better positive control that dried tissue samples. Material carried back to the United States from Egypt as extracted RNA under ethanol was not impacted by storage at room temperature during transport. Initial testing of strawberry material from fields in Egypt showed that SMYEV, SVBV, BPYV, SLRSV and SPaV were detected in field samples. The plants tested from the nuclear stocks tested negative for each of the viruses tested.