Open AccessIdentification of Mixed Virus Infection on Trichosanthes cucumerina L. in Akamkpa, Southern Cross River State, Nigeria
Author(s) -
O. I. Eyong,
E. E. Ekpiken,
D. E. Akam,
A. T. Owolabi
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
asian journal of advances in agricultural research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2456-8864
DOI - 10.9734/ajaar/2021/v15i230150
Subject(s) - cucumovirus , cucumber mosaic virus , biology , trichosanthes , crop , genbank , virology , plant virus , virus , botany , horticulture , veterinary medicine , agronomy , medicine , gene , biochemistry , alternative medicine , traditional chinese medicine , pathology
Trichosanthes cucumerina L is a tropical or subtropical fruit bearing crop of the Cucurbitaceae family. Field survey during 2020 planting season in Akamkpa, Southern Cross River State, Nigeria revealed widespread virus infection of the crop. Symptoms observed included severe leaf malformation/reduction and rugosity. This research was therefore aimed at identifying viruses infecting Trichosanthes cucumerina in this location. Infected leaf samples were collected and virus maintained on young seedlings of T. cucumerina in the Botanical Garden of University of Calabar, Nigeria. Diagnostic tools included ACP-ELISA and gene sequence analysis. The ELISA result revealed two viruses belonging to the genus Cucumovirus and Potyvirus. The identity of the viruses were determined after virus sequences were compared with other viruses available in the GenBank of National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) using the basic local alignment search tool (BLASTn). The result revealed the Cucumovirus to be Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) while the Potyvirus was revealed to be Potato virus Y (PVY). This is the first report of mixed virus infection on Trichosanthes cucumerina in Nigeria.