Characterization of the Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus from Squash in Tehran Province

Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) is a potyvirus with a worldwide distribution. This virus causes serious economic losses in Iran in many cucurbits. During 2002-2003, sam-ples were collected from squash fields in Tehran Province. Five isolates (Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4 and Z5) were inoculated on 27 species of Cucurbitaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Amarantha-ceae,Solanacae, Leguminosae and Ranunculaceae. Chenopodium quinoa and C. amaranti-color showed chlorotic local lesions. Gomphrena globosa developed necrotic local lesions. Systemic symptoms were produced in the members of Cucurbitaceae and Ranunculus sardous. Z2, Z4 and Z5 caused mosaic symptoms on Phaseolus vulgaris cv. Red Kidney and P. vulgaris cv. Khorram but Z1 and Z3 caused chlorotic local lesions.Virus was puri-fied from Cucurbita pepo. Virus particles in immunoelectron microscopy were filamentous flexuous. The molecular weights of coat protein using SDS-PAGE and western blotting were estimated at 32 kDa. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed using one primer pairs designed by Desbiez et al. An approximately 458 bp fragment was amplified with a specific primer.