Tomato ringspot nepovirus (ToRSV) in wild blackberry (Rubus fruticosus L.) in Hatay province of Turkey

During observations of virus-like symptoms in wild blackberry (Rubus fruticosus L., Rosaceae) some stunted plants growing in the border of stone-fruit orchards in Hatay were found showing severe yellow blotching and deformity of the leaves. Samples (shoots and leaves) were collected in September 2008 and May 2009 from wild blackberry plants growing at the border of apricot orchards and neighboring stone fruit nurseries in Hatay province in Eastern Mediterranean Region of Turkey. Each of 12 wild blackberry samples taken from 7 symptomatic and 5 symptomless plants were tested for virus by mechanical inoculation of sap to herbaceous plants. Sap was inoculated on Chenopodium amaranthicolor, C. quinoa, Cucumis sativus, Gombhrena globosa L., Nicotiana benthamiana, N. clevelandii, N. glutinosa, Phaseolus vulgaris L. and Vigna unguiculata L. Sap from six symptomatic plants induced symptoms of necrotic or chlorotic lesions, and ringspot on test plants. No symptoms were induced in the test plants inoculated by sap from symptomless blackberry plants. A sap-transmissible virus was obtained from all symptomatic plants and later identified as Tomato ringspot nepovirus (ToRSV) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-ELISA. Thus, results of biological indexing were also confirmed by serological assays (ELISA). Cuttings of symptomatic plants were rooted in pots and kept in an insect-proof growing room for symptom observations and testing. Investigations on the other viruses in wild and cultivated Rubus spp. and its vector/s are still in progress. Further studies are necessary to investigate the distribution and natural transmission of the main virus diseases in cultivated Rubus spp. in particular because of the economic importance of Rubus cultivation and the recent increase in new commercial plantings in Hatay. This work represents the first report of ToRSV in wild blackberry (R. fruticosus) in Turkey. Keywords: Bioassay, Blackberry, ELISA, Rubus, ToRSV, viru