First Report of Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus Infecting Muskmelon and Cucumber in Sudan
Authors: Hamed K. , Menzel W. , Dafalla G. , Gadelseed A. M. A. , Winter S. 
Published: July 2011

In summer 2009, a survey for virus diseases in cucurbits was conducted in open fields and plastichouses in Khartoum State, the most important growing area for cucurbits in Sudan. Chlorosis and yellowing symptoms on middle and lower leaves were observed on many muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) plants grown in open fields in the Assilat agricultural scheme and on approximately 80% of the cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) plants grown in plastichouses in Khartoum North. Large populations of whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci L.) were present in both locations. Leaf symptoms that were observed were similar to those caused by Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV), a recently described new Crinivirus species infecting cucurbits in Japan (4), indicating presence of this virus previously only reported from Japan, Taiwan (2), and China (1). Samples from seven symptomatic muskmelon leaves were collected from individual plants grown in different open fields in Assilat and from a symptomatic cucumber plant grown in a plastichouse. Total RNA was extracted from these samples with the RNeasy Plant Mini Kit (QIAGEN, Hilden, Germany) to amplify putative CCYV sequences with primers (Crini-s2 5′-CATTCCTACCTGTTTAGCCA and Crini-as2 5′-TGCACTTATAATCTGCTGGTAC) designed from CCYV sequences available at GenBank. A 353-bp DNA fragment of the HSP70 gene was amplified by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR for all samples. Further analysis by direct sequencing of two PCR products showed 99 to 100% nt sequence identity to Asian CCYV isolates. Amplification of the coat protein sequence with the primer pair (CCYV-CPs 5′-ATGGAGAAGACTGACAATAAACAA and CCYV-CPas 5′-TTTACTACAACCTCCCGGTG) followed by cloning and sequencing yielded a 760-bp fragment having 99% nucleotide sequence identity to all Asian isolates. For confirmation, dsRNA preparations of symptomatic muskmelon tissue (collected in June 2010) were made, showing dsRNA patterns typical for criniviruses after separation on agarose gels. This dsRNA was used as template for random RT-PCR followed by sequencing of the cloned PCR products (3). Comparison with sequences available at GenBank revealed that cDNA sequences from dsRNA also were 99 to 100% identical to the CCYV genome sequence (AB523788.1). Whitefly transmission of the virus was confirmed by giving a population of B. tabaci an acquisition access period of 24 h and a further 24 h on muskmelon and cucumber seedlings. Symptoms were observed after 5 to 7 days, and the presence of CCYV was confirmed by RT-PCR. In conclusion, symptoms, RT-PCR, and dsRNA sequencing results confirm the presence and establishment of CCYV in cucurbit crops in Sudan. It is remarkable that the sequences obtained from the Sudanese samples show only negligible sequence differences from Asian isolates. Because of the large whitefly vector populations, the spread of CCYV to neighboring countries in Africa and potentially southern Europe, or wherever cucurbits are grown, can be expected. To our knowledge, this is the first report of CCYV in Sudan and outside Eastern Asia. The sequences obtained in this study have been submitted to GenBank under Accession Nos. JF807053 to JF807055.

References: (1) Q. S. Gu et al. Plant Dis. 95:73, 2011. (2) L. H. Huang et al. Plant Dis. 94:1168, 2010. (3) W. Menzel et al. Arch. Virol. 154:1343, 2009. (4) M. Okuda et al. Phytopathology 100:560, 2010.