Characterization of two Cucumber mosaic virus isolates infecting Allium cepa in Turkey

Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) is polyphagous, infecting plants in several families. CMV has occurred as a minor pathogen in Allium crops in several Mediterranean countries, but little was known of the virus naturally infecting Allium spp. This study completed molecular and biological characterization of CMV-14.3Po and CMV-15.5Po, two newly identified CMV isolates infecting onion (Allium cepa L.) in Turkey. Phylogenetic, and nucleotide and amino acid sequence identity analyses of partial RNA2 and RNA3 of the two isolates showed that they were very similar to other CMV isolates from Mediterranean, European, and East Asian countries. Phylogenetic analysis of the partial sequence of RNA3 also showed that the onion isolates belong to subgroup IA. Onion isolates were mechanically transmissible, and caused mild leaf malformation on onion, severe leaf malformation and stunting on garlic (Allium sativus L.), and mosaic and mottle on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) and melon (Cucumis melo L.).