Molecular characterization of exocortis (Citrus exocortis viroid, CEVd) in the Gharb region

• Main Authors: M'Bark OUANTAR, Imane BIBI, Bouchra CHEBLI, Abdelmoughit AIT FRIHA, Mohamed AFECHTAL
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II 2018-03-01
• Series: Revue Marocaine des Sciences Agronomiques et Vétérinaires
• Subjects: Citrus; Citrus exocortis viroid; RT-PCR; sequencing; Gharb
• Online Access: http://agrimaroc.org/index.php/Actes_IAVH2/article/view/551

Viroids are graft and mechanically transmissible agents, disseminated through budding. A field survey was conducted, during July 2013, for citrus viroids in the Gharb region. A total of 53 samples were collected and used for inoculation of ‘Etrog’ lemon before being tested by RT-PCR for the detection of exocotris (Citrus exocortis viroid, CEVd). The results showed that CEVd was widespread in the region with an infection rate of 84.9% in the analyzed samples. After genomic sequencing, a study of the genetic diversity was conducted on three representative local isolates of CEVd. The comparison between the nucleotide sequences of Moroccan CEVd isolates revealed a genetic diversity of less than 3%.