Serological and molecular characterization of two seed born cowpea mosaic Comovirus isolates affecting cowpea plants (Vigna unguiculata L.) in northern

Bruening and Agrawal, [3]. Little work has been done on Cowpea mosaic comovirus (CPMV) in Egypt. It is one of the most commonly reported virus diseases of cowpea, which causes mosaic and decreases leaf area and lower production [4]. Symptoms induced by CPMV vary from light green mottle to distinct yellow mosaic, distortion of leaf, and premature death of the plant [5]. In our research detection of CPMV infecting cowpea in northern Egypt was based mainly on serological diagnosis and RT-PCR. The aims of this work were detection and isolation of CPMV affecting cowpea plants. Viral characterization included host range and symptomology, modes of transmission, sap infectivity tests, serological tests and nucleotide sequencing. Detection of CPMV isolate1 in various plant organs such as loral parts, pods, seed and seed parts showed positive results. Comparative studies for detection of CPMV by TBIA, DBIA, indirect ELISA and biological assay in infected plants were conducted after different periods of inoculation, and in serial dilutions of infected plant sap. Possibility of using alternative solid carriers instead of nitrocellulose membranes in TBIA and DBIA tests was determined using two faces of the solid carriers in TBIA test. Partial sequences of the virus isolates was registered in gene bank.