Simultaneous detection of Apple mosaic virus in cultivated hazelnuts by one-tube RT-PCR

The most economically damaging ilarvirus affecting hazelnut on a worldwide scale is the related apple mosaic virus (ApMV). Attempts were made to isolate the virus RNA from hazelnut tissues using different extraction methods. The most suitable extraction method that could detect the virus occurring naturally in hazelnut by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methodology was selected. RT-PCR was applied successfully using flower, husk and leaf tissues. The most suitable extraction method and hazelnut tissues determined were sensitive, simple, rapid and reliable for simultaneous detection of ApMV in hazelnut tissues. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the simultaneous detection of the virus by RT-PCR, an alternative detection of ApMV in hazelnut hosts.