title: Molecular characterization of barley yellow dwarf virus in Tunisia.
abstract: Barley yellow dwarf disease is a worldwide ubiquitous virus disease of cereal crops. In order to characterize the B/CYDV isolates occurring in Tunisia, 240 barley leaves were randomly sampled from 6 fields following a North-South trend and analyzed by serological and molecular tests. DAS-ELISA results showed 40 positive samples with a prevalence of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV)-PAV (77.5%), followed by cereal yellow dwarf virus (CYDV)-RPV (25%) and BYDV-MAV (15%). Studies of the geographic distribution showed a high incidence of B/CYDV in the Tunisian Southern provinces. RT-PCR assays were performed to amplify the viral coat protein gene (CP) and sequence analyses revealed six BYDV-PAV haplotypes named PAV-TN1 to PAV-TN6. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the six Tunisian haplotypes were close to BYDV-PAV-II subspecies and had a strong similarity with Moroccan, Czech, French and German haplotypes. Although PAV-TN2 and PAV-TN5 showed up to 10% divergence from BYDV-PAV-II at the amino acid level, it seems to belong to the same subspecies but in a separated cluster. Our results will be important in developing appropriate control measures against BYDV disease in Tunisia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bouallegue
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mezghani-Khemakhem
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bouktila
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Makni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Makni
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001467:Hordeum / Q000821:virology*; D017793:Luteovirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014416:Tunisia