Citrus tristeza virus: prevalence and diversity of its isolates

Citrus is one of the most widely grown and economically important fruit crops in the world.Citrus tristeza virus (CTV), a phloem associated virus of various citrus species, containing single stranded positive-sense monopartite RNA genome, is one of the biggest threats to the global citrus industry and a major contributor of citrus decline.Survey was conducted to ascertain the prevalence of CTV as well as existence of genetic variability among its isolates in the North Eastern region of India. CTV was found to be widely prevalent in North Eastern region of India. Detection of CTV using DAS-ELISA and RT-PCR was found to very accurate and efficient which could be important tools in certification of CTV-free planting materials. Genetic variability among the CTV isolates of the region was observed and genetic characterization studies of CTV isolates of region along with their phylogenetic relationship with other Indian and international CTV isolates revealed vital facts about the genetic make up of the CTV isolates of the region.