The genus Potyvirus is one of the largest and economically important groups of plant viruses, due to their effects on crops worldwide. Potyviruses are accounted for 40% of viral diseases of various plants. Due to easily spreading of these viruses detection of such viruses are crucial for control of incited diseases. So, Leaf samples with virus-like symptoms were collected from a range of crops in Mazandaran and Golestan provinces of Iran. Total RNA was extracted and one pair of degenerate primers corresponding to CI-coding region of potyvirus genome was used in RT-PCR. PCR products (680bp) of representative isolates were cloned and sequenced. BlastN analysis of the sequenced data showed that the PCR-amplified fragments belonging to Potato virus Y (Tomato, Potato); Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (Squash, Tomato); Watermelon mosaic virus (Zucchini, Watermelon); Bean common mosaic virus (Bean); Bean common mosaic necrosis virus (Bean); Soybean mosaic virus (Bean); Sugarcane mosaic virus (Sugarcane, Maize) and Maize dwarf mosaic virus (Maize). Using degenerate primers, many potyviruses were detected which infecting a variety of crops in different extents in the northern area of Iran. PCR with degenerate primers of the viral genomes has facilitated the rapid detection of many potyviruses and enabled partial genomic sequencing.
