E.M. MAREI1, R.M. ELBAZ2*, I. ELMAGHRABY3, A. SHARAF4
1Microbiology & Genetic Eng. Dep., Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Shoubra, Cairo, 11241, Egypt.
2Botany and Microbiology Dep., Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Ain-Helwan, Cairo, 11970, Egypt.
3Central Lab. of Organic Agriculture, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, 12619, Egypt.
4Microbiology & Genetic Eng. Dep., Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Shoubra, Cairo, 11241, Egypt.
* Corresponding Author : d.reham@hotmail.com
Received : 14-09-2014 Accepted : 27-11-2014 Published : 30-12-2014
Volume : 6 Issue : 2 Pages : 575 - 580
Int J Microbiol Res 6.2 (2014):575-580
Keywords : Mulberry mosaic virus, Transmission electron microscope, Cytopathic effect, Geminiviridae, Isozyme polymorphism
Conflict of Interest : Author declares no conflicts of interest.
Mosaic, yellowing and malformation symptoms were detected on leaves of mulberry plants (Morus spp. L.), grown in the Experimental Farm of Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt, during the spring of 2012. Viral assay experiment which carried out on sensitive host (Phaseolus vulgaris), resulted in appearance of virus-like symptom. The detected virus was found to have a narrow host range. Electron microscopy studies of ultrathin sections of healthy and infected mulberry leaves revealed that the detected virus affected the plant cell structure of the diseased plants. The viral particles were icosahedral in symmetry and double capsid of 57 nm in diameter and the diameter of the inner core was found to be 42 nm. The isolated mulberry mosaic virus is a tentative member of the Genus Begomovirus in the Family Geminiviridae. Isozyme polymorphism in the healthy and infected plants was studied. Differences were detected in the ideogram of peroxidase, α-esterase and β-esterase isozymes of the infected plants relative to that of the healthy plants. According to the available literature, this may be the first report of mulberry mosaic virus in Egypt.