First Report of Wheat streak mosaic virus in Slovakia

The occurrence of Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV; genus Tritimovirus) was monitored by testing 91 wheat and barley samples collected from various localities of Slovakia from March to June 2007. Samples were screened by a commercial double-antibody sandwich-ELISA kit (Loewe Biochemica, Sauerlach, Germany). Positive results were obtained from two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) samples from the same locality of western Slovakia. Molecular analysis of both samples was performed by reverse transcription-PCR with WSMV-specific primers (WS-8166F 5′ GAGAGCAATACTGCGTGTACG 3′ and WS-8909R 5′ GCATAATGGCTCGAAGTGATG 3′) designed according to available sequences. The expected 750-bp PCR fragment containing the N-terminal and core region of the coat protein gene (from 8166 to 8909 nt based on the Sidney81 isolate, GenBank Accession No AF057533) was obtained from both Slovak isolates. Direct sequencing (GenBank Accession Nos. EU723085 and EU723086) revealed that the two isolates have nucleotide and amino acid sequence ide...