Bean Common Mosaic Potyvirus (BCMV) Characterized from Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Crops Affected by Mosaic Disease in Denizli Province, Türkiye

Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is one of the world's oldest crops with both financial and nutritional importance. Bean common mosaic potyvirus (BCMV) is one of the prevalent viral agents that affect beans across the globe. Determining the presence of the agent in the relevant region is critical for minimizing crop losses by implementing appropriate preventive and control measures. In this study, 73 bean leaf samples were collected from bean-growing areas in the Denizli province of Türkiye in 2022. The samples were screened for the presence of viral agents using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) with specific primers targeting the polypeptide gene. 26 of the bean samples were found to be positive for BCMV. The coat protein gene sequences of two randomly selected positive isolates were sequenced and deposited in the GenBank with accession numbers OQ910196 and OQ910197. The nucleotide sequences of isolates were found to have high similarity with those of isolates identified in various regions of the world. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that these isolates from Denizli, Türkiye were closely related to other Turkish isolates. However, since some Turkish isolates in the cluster associated with the Denizli isolates were identified as belonging to the US-5 or NL-6 strain, the current sequences may be related to these strains. Further research is necessary to identify the exact strain of the Denizli isolates, which could be achieved through the use of a strain differentiation set.