In vitro Antiviral Chemical Treatment to BBTV-Infected Banana Cultures for Production of Virus-Free Plants

Afaque Quraishi; Vikram Singh; Vijaya Koche

Abstract

Obtaining healthy plants from infected germplasm banana stocks is a major problem. Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) is the most destructive pathogen for the banana crop. Production of virus-free plants is crucial for cultivation, germplasm conservation and their exchanges. In vitro shoot meristem culture is the most common method for producing disease-free planting material. However, BBTV can multiply with in vitro cultures too. Therefore, for eliminating BBTV, the shoot-tip culture was combined with exposure of antiviral drugs. For the purpose, viral infected cultures of Musa acuminata cv ‘Grand Naine’ were exposed to culture medium containing- ribavirin, acyclovir or adefovir for four weeks at different concentrations. Viral elimination was determined by amplification of viral-gene through a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Only ribavirin was found effective in eliminating BBTV from banana cultures, to some extent, with sufficient survival rates.Keywords: Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV), chemotherapy, Musa, ribavirin, adefovirCite this ArticleSingh V, Koche V, Quraishi A. In vitro antiviral chemical treatment to BBTV-infected banana cultures for production of virus-free plants. Research & Reviews: A Journal of Life Sciences. 2019; 9(3): 28–33p.