title: Molecular characterization of watermelon chlorotic stunt virus (WmCSV) from Palestine.
abstract: The incidence of watermelon chlorotic stunt disease and molecular characterization of the Palestinian isolate of Watermelon chlorotic stunt virus (WmCSV-[PAL]) are described in this study. Symptomatic leaf samples obtained from watermelon Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.), and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) plants were tested for WmCSV-[PAL] infection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Rolling Circle Amplification (RCA). Disease incidence ranged between 25%-98% in watermelon fields in the studied area, 77% of leaf samples collected from Jenin were found to be mixed infected with WmCSV-[PAL] and SLCV. The full-length DNA-A and DNA-B genomes of WmCSV-[PAL] were amplified and sequenced, and the sequences were deposited in the GenBank. Sequence analysis of virus genomes showed that DNA-A and DNA-B had 97.6%-99.42% and 93.16%-98.26% nucleotide identity with other virus isolates in the region, respectively. Sequence analysis also revealed that the Palestinian isolate of WmCSV shared the highest nucleotide identity with an isolate from Israel suggesting that the virus was introduced to Palestine from Israel.
authors: Biodiversity and Biotechnology Research Unit, Biodiversity and Environmental Research Center-BERC, Til, Nablus 970, Palestine. msshtayeh@yahoo.com.
authors: Mohammed S
authors: MS
authors: Ali-Shtayeh
authors: Biodiversity and Biotechnology Research Unit, Biodiversity and Environmental Research Center-BERC, Til, Nablus 970, Palestine. rana@berc.ps.
authors: Rana M
authors: RM
authors: Jamous
authors: Biodiversity and Biotechnology Research Unit, Biodiversity and Environmental Research Center-BERC, Til, Nablus 970, Palestine. omarm@berc.ps.
authors: Omar B
authors: OB
authors: Mallah
authors: Biodiversity and Biotechnology Research Unit, Biodiversity and Environmental Research Center-BERC, Til, Nablus 970, Palestine. salamaz@berc.ps.
authors: Salam Y
authors: SY
authors: Abu-Zeitoun
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D053839:Begomovirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D029773:Citrullus / Q000821:virology*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004279:DNA, Viral; D023061:Gene Order; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D016679:Genome, Viral; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000821:virology; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral