Occurrence and Distribution of Major Viruses Infecting Eggplant in Lebanon and Molecular Characterization of a Local Potato Virus X Isolate

This research was carried out in order to evaluate the presence and distribution of viral infections causing severe disease eggplant plants collected from different districts Bekaa valley, Lebanon. Most infected showed virus-like symptoms consisting predominantly leaf blotch, mottling chlorotic ring spots; twisting plant dwarf were also observed visited fields. Symptomatic asymptomatic screened by ELISA test for several pathogenic viruses potentially present area. Results that potato virus Y (PVY) most prevalent found (detected 15.3% tested plants), followed mottled (EMDV, 2.9%) cucumber mosaic (CMV, 1.2%), while tomato spotted wilt (TSWV), alfalfa (AMV) pepper mottle (PepMoV) not detected. Biological indexing symptomatic ELISA-negative plants, electron microscopy, indicated particles genus Potexvirus, which subsequently confirmed as X (PVX) RT-PCR Sanger sequencing. PVX 35.3% all sampled northern In a phylogenetic analysis, partial coat protein gene sequence selected Lebanese isolate, PVX-AK1, clustered together with other isolates Asia. Furthermore, 124-aa PVX-AK1 shared 100% identity PVX-UK3, an isolate is known avirulent genotypes carrying either Nx or Rx resistance genes. work revealed picture previously uninvestigated phytosanitary status crops important horticultural area