Abstract:In order to prevent Arabis mosaic virus (ArMV) from introducing into China, the tulip seedlings imported from Netherlands were detected for ArMV by the use of serology, molecular biology, electron microscopy observation and biological inoculation. The serological reaction result of double antibody sandwich (DAS) ELISA for testing ArMV showed strongly positive. The seedlings were further detected by reverse transcript (RT) PCR method and a 370 bp-size target band was amplified specifically, which means RT-PCR for ArMV was also positive. The sequence analysis appeared that the similarity ratio of nucleotide sequences of RT-PCR product with three reported ArMV coat protein genes was 91.00%-93.24%, their amino acid sequences homology ranged from 99% to 100%. The isometric virions with diameter of 30nm were observed from the tulip leaf extract by utilizing immuno-sorbent electron microscopy. Biological inoculation tests showed that some assay hosts (Nicotiana rustica, white burley variety of Nicotiana tabacum, Petunia hybrida, Chenopodium quinoa and so on) could be infected by the virus and showed necrosis or chlorosis on the leaves. Based on the above results, the virus was identified as ArMV.