ABSTRACT
Tospoviruses are considered one of the most devastating viruses in different crops and ornamentals worldwide. There have been increasing records of the natural occurrence of Tomato yellow fruit ring virus (TYFRV) in Iran (e.g., 1,2,3), a recently proposed species in the genus Tospovirus (4). During the growing seasons 2010 to 2011, surveys were conducted in pepper fields (Capsicum annum) in Tehran province, one of the main vegetable producing areas of Iran, to detect the presence of tospovirus species infecting this crop, including Groundnut ringspot virus (GRSV), Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV), Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV), Tomato chlorotic spot virus (TCSV), Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), TYFRV, and Watermelon silver mottle virus (WSMoV). Overall, 14 fields were surveyed and 119 pepper leaf samples from plants showing tospovirus-like symptoms of yellow mosaic, chlorosis, and necrosis were collected. Each leaf sample was tested by double-antibody sandwich (DAS)-ELISA using specific antisera (Bioreba, Reinach, Switzerland; Loewe, Sauerlach, Germany; DSMZ, Braunschweig, Germany) for the presence of the aforementioned tospoviruses. Based on the results, TYFRV were found in 21 samples (17.6%) collected from five fields surveyed. None of the samples had a positive reaction in ELISA to GRSV, INSV, IYSV, TCSV, TSWV, and WSMoV. To confirm testing, six leaf samples that were found positive for TYFRV in ELISA tests were mechanically inoculated on Petunia × hybrid and Nicotiana rustica; for all the samples studied, the inoculated plants showed typical necrotic local lesions of tospoviruses, and chlorotic or necrotic spots followed by systemic infection, respectively; their infection was subsequently confirmed by ELISA. Four out of the six samples also were tested by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR technique using previously described specific primers (2). The PCR reaction, in agreement with ELISA tests, resulted in the specifically amplification of a ~1.2-kb fragment of TYFRV RNAs. Using the PCR amplification primers mentioned above, the nucleotide sequences of nucleoprotein (N) genes of two isolates, namely TY-PepT43 and TY-PepT74, were determined (GenBank Accession Nos. KC354692 and KC354693, respectively); BLAST search results confirmed the presence of TYFRV and showed high nucleotide identities (99.0%) to TY-PF36 isolate of the virus. The virus has been previously reported on potato, tomato, ornamental plants, and some weed species in Tehran Province (1,3,4). This coupled with the presence of TYFRV vector, i.e., Thrips tabaci, in the same region (1), may have resulted in the occurrence of the virus on pepper plants. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the natural occurrence of TYFRV from pepper plants in Iran. References: (1) T. Ghotbi et al. Plant Dis. 89:425, 2005. (2) A. R. Golnaraghi et al. Plant Dis. 92:1280, 2008. (3) R. Pourrahim et al. Plant Dis. 91:609, 2007. (4) S. Winter et al. Plant Pathol. 55:287, 2006.
ABSTRACT
The prevalence of HTLV1 virus antibodies was determined in pregnant women and their neonates in Mashhad, northeast of Iran, as shown in this prospective cross-sectional study. 407 women who were hospitalized for delivery participated in this study. Venous blood sampling of pregnant women and umbilical cord of their neonates was done. The first samples of all women were tested for HTLV1 seropositivity by ELISA test and confirmed by PCR method. Then, the presence of HTLV1 in samples of umbilical cords blood in neonates who were delivered to an HTLV1-positive mother was determined by PCR method. All HTLV1-positive infants were called again at the age of 9-12 months, and PCR test was done using HTLV1-specific primers for them. Of all the participating women, 6 persons were HTLV1 seropositive by ELIZA test which was confirmed by PCR test. HTLV1 antibodies were found in cord blood samples by PCR test in 6 newborns who were born to HTLV1-seropositive women. All the six infants at the age of 9-12 months showed positive PCR results by HTLV1 LTR-specific primers; however, only one of them was PCR positive using HTLV1 TAX-specific primers. The prevalence of HTLV1 antibodies in pregnant women was 1.5%, and the vertical transmission rate to their neonates was 16.6%.
ABSTRACT
Antiserum raised against Rhodnius prolixus perimicrovillar membranes (PMM) and midgut tissue interfered with the midgut structural organization and reduced the development of Trypanosoma cruzi in the R. prolixus insect vector. SDS-PAGE and Western blot analyses confirmed the specific recognition of midgut proteins by the antibody. Feeding, mortality, molt, and oviposition of the insects were unaffected by feeding with the antiserum. However, the eclosion of the eggs were reduced from R. prolixus females treated with antiserum. Additionally, in vivo evaluation showed that after oral treatment with the antiserum, the intensity of infection with the Dm-28c clone of T. cruzi decreased in the digestive tract of fifth-instar nymphs and in the excretions of R. prolixus adults. These results suggest that the changes observed in the PMM organization in the posterior midgut of R. prolixus may not be important for triatomine survival but the antiserum acts as a transmission-reduction vaccine able to induce significant decreases in T. cruzi infection in the vector.
