دامنه میزبانی ویروس پنهان زعفران در شرایط گلخانه ای

Saffron (crocus sativus L.) belongs to Iridaseae family, is one of the most important industrial and export products of Iran. Plant pathogens are one of the main limitation factors of saffron production. Saffron latent virus (SaLV, family Potyviridae, genus Potyvirus), which has been recently characterized, infects more than 70% of saffron fields in Iran. To study the host range of SaLV, 29 plant species belong to eight families, including Amaranthacea, Brassicaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Iridaseae, Cucurbitaceae, Malvaceae, Solanaceae, Leguminosae, were mechanically inoculated with SaLV-infected saffron leaf tissue extracts in phosphate buffer 0.1 M, pH 7. The inoculated plants were kept in greenhouse conditions at 18- 23 ⸰C and induced symptoms were recorded. SaLV- infection status of all inoculated plants were tested by antigen coated-plate ELISA using Potyvirus genus-specific antibody and RT-PCR using NIb for/ 3'UTR rev specific SaLV primers. The result showed that SaLV was mechanically transmitted on six test plant species including Chenopodium amaranticolor, C. quinoa, C. murale, C. album, Nicotiana rustica, Datura metel, and Capsicum annuum, resulting in development of systemic leaf puckering and chlorotic star-shaped spots, chlorotic ringspot and yellow mosaic. This the first host-range studies of SaLV under greenhouse conditions which could be helpful for initial SaLV diagnosis in the absence of specific antibodies.