Alphasatellites are circular single-stranded DNA molecules frequently found in association with natural isolates of nanoviruses and some geminiviruses, the two ssDNA plant-infecting virus families. While the implications of alphasatellite presence in geminivirus infections are relatively well documented, comparable studies on alphasatellites associated with nanoviruses are not available.

Many surveys were conducted during 2003–2005 to study the identity, prevalence and fluctuation of bean infecting viruses in northwestern Iran. In total, 649 bean samples with virus- like symptoms were collected and analysed by double antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA) and tissue-print immunoassay to detect infectious viruses. Serological tests revealed the presence of Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV), Bean common mosaic necrosis virus (BCMNV), Bean yellow mosaic virus (BYMV), Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV), Bean leaf roll virus (BLRV), Bean pod mottle virus (BPMV) and Southern bean mosaic virus (SBMV), with some co-infection occurred, with prevalence of BCMV, BCMNV and BYMV (17–29% infection rate). The incidence of viruses showed variation in over 3 years of research including more than double increase in CMV from 2004 to 2005 and obvious one-third decrease in AMV from 2003 to 2005. SBMV and BPMV were detected sporadically in the fields and the response of some differential test plants was analysed by mechanical inoculation. Western immunoblotting analysis of SBMV infected bean leaf total proteins using SBMV-specific polyclonal antibody revealed viral CP with molecular mass of 28.5 kDa which confirmed the presence of SBMV as a new threat for bean production.

Iris belongs to the Iridaceae family. It is one of the most important pharmaceutical and ornamental plants in the world. To assess the potyvirus incidence in natural resources of iris plants in Iran, Antigen Coated-Plate ELISA (ACP-ELISA) was performed on 490 symptomatic rhizomatous iris leaf samples, which detected the potyvirus in 36.7% of the samples. Genomic 3′ end of one mechanically non-transmitted potyvirus isolate, comprising a 3′ untranslated region (390 bp) and C-terminus of the coat protein (CP) gene (459 bp), was amplified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), which was ligated into pTG19-T vector. The nucleotide sequence of amplicons was compared with related sequences, using Blastn software available at NCBI GenBank, and showed the highest similarity withIris severe mosaic virus(ISMV) isolates. The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence of the CP C-terminus region was more than 83% identical with other ISMV isolates, therefore this isolate was designated as ISMV-Ir. This new ISMV isolate is closely related to the Chinese ISMV-PHz in phylogenetic analysis, based on the partial nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence of the CP region. This is the first report of ISMV occurrence onIrisspp. in Iran.