scholarly journals First Report of Potato spindle tuber viroid Naturally Infecting Greenhouse Tomatoes in North Carolina

Plant Disease ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 97 (1) ◽  
pp. 148-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.-S. Ling ◽  
R. Li ◽  
D. R. Panthee ◽  
R. G. Gardner

In spring 2012, a severe disease was observed on a limited number of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in a research greenhouse facility in western North Carolina. The first symptoms noted were downward curling of the terminal leaves accompanied by a rough puckered darker green texture. This was followed in time by greater distortion of the leaves with pale green on leaf margins. Older leaves with symptoms developed necrosis, with necrotic spots and streaks appearing on a few fruits. On some of these affected fruits, stems, peduncles, pedicels, and sepals also showed symptoms. Infected plants were badly stunted, and fruits in the upper parts of plants displaying severe symptoms remained very small. In just a few months, the disease spread to other tomato plants inside the greenhouse. A survey in May 2012 showed a disease incidence of 18% (156 symptomatic plants out of a total of 864) in this greenhouse. Initial screenings for possible viruses using ELISA (Agdia, Elkhart, IN), as well as a reverse transcription (RT)-PCR panel of 15 common tomato viruses in our laboratory were negative. Because of the symptoms and negative results for viruses, a viroid infection was suspected. Total plant RNA was prepared using TRIzol reagent (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA) from leaf tissues of eight diseased plants and one seed sample. Using real-time RT-PCR developed against Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) and some related pospiviroids (1), positive signals were observed with a mean Ct = 13.24 for leaf tissues and Ct = 19.91 for the seed sample. To obtain a full viroid genome, RT-PCR using two different sets of primers, one specific for PSTVd (PSTVd-F and PSTVd-R) (2), and a universal primer set for pospiviroids (MTTVd-F and MTTVd-R) (3) was performed. RT-PCR generated amplicons with expected size of ~360 bp from all eight leaf and one seed samples, but not from a healthy control. PCR products were cloned using the TOPO TA cloning kit (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA). A total of 22 full genomic sequences were obtained. A multi-sequence alignment generated a consensus sequence of 360 nt, designated as NC12-01 (GenBank Accession No. JX280944). BLASTn search in the NCBI database revealed the highest sequence identity of 96.9% to Australian (AY962324) and UK (AJ583449) isolates of PSTVd and 95.9% identity to the tomato isolate of PSTVd-CA1 (HM753555). Similar disease symptoms were observed on two ‘Rutgers’ tomato plants 2 weeks post mechanical inoculation and the presence of PSTVd was confirmed by real-time RT-PCR (1). A mock-inoculated plant did not show any symptoms. In the U.S., natural infection of PSTVd on tomato was first identified in California in 2010 (3). To our knowledge, this is the first report of a natural occurrence of PSTVd on tomato in the eastern U.S. The diseased plants were contained, properly disposed of, and eradicated in this location. The broader geographic distribution of PSTVd on tomato in the U.S., and the potential latent infection in potato and a number of ornamentals (4), emphasizes the need for better plant and seed health tests for viroids on these plants. References: (1) N. Boonham et al. J. Virol. Methods 116:139, 2004. (2) H. Bostan et al. J. Virol. Methods 116:189, 2004. (3) K.-S. Ling and D. Sfetcu. Plant Dis. 94:1376, 2010. (4) R. A. Owens and J. Th. J. Verhoeven. The Plant Health Instructor. DOI: 10.1094/PHI-I-2009-0804-01, 2009.

Plant Disease ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 94 (11) ◽  
pp. 1376-1376 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.-S. Ling ◽  
D. Sfetcu

In April 2009, a large number of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L.) grown in a commercial greenhouse facility near Los Angles, CA exhibited general plant stunting (short internodes) and foliar symptoms that included distortion, chlorosis, and scattered necrotic spotting. Over time, the leaves began to exhibit a purple color and curling. Diseased plants were often elongated and frail with spindly shoots. The disease resulted in a significant yield loss due to reduced fruit size. Disease symptoms described above are generally different from those of Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) infection, which causes yellow mosaic or patches on leaves and marbling of fruits. The disease was initially localized in certain areas in a greenhouse despite using a number of cultural management efforts including vigorous scouting, roguing of diseased plants, and strict hygiene and cleaning practices. The disease was also observed in neighboring greenhouses by the spring of 2010. A standard panel of tests for common tomato viruses and viroids were conducted using the appropriate serological or PCR assays. Reverse transcription (RT) PCR analysis of nine symptomatic plants with pospiviroid-specific primers, Pospil-RE and Pospil-FW (3), produced an amplicon of the expected size (~196 bp) while three healthy looking tomato plants did not. Subsequently, full viroid genomic sequences were obtained through RT-PCR with primer sets specific for Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd), 3H1/2H1 (2), as well as for the pospiviroid genus, MTTVd-F and MTTVd-R (1). Sequences obtained from direct sequencing of amplicons or cloned PCR products from one isolate were identical and consisted of a full viroid genome of 358 nt, which was named PSTVd-CA1 (GenBank Accession No. HM753555). BLASTn queries of the NCBI database showed that this isolate had a high sequence identity (98%) to other PSTVd isolates (i.e., EF044304, X52037, and Y09577). The disease was reproducible upon mechanical transmission (1) on three tomato ‘Moneymaker’ plants, which expressed symptoms that were similar to those on the source plants. Recovery of PSTVd on the inoculated tomato plants was confirmed by RT-PCR and sequencing. Because of its susceptibility to viroid infection, tomato ‘Moneymaker’ plants are commonly used as indicators for the study of pospiviroids, including PSTVd. Natural PSTVd infection on greenhouse tomatoes has been reported in Europe (3) and New Zealand. Although a number of reports in the United States have been published on naturally occurring PSTVd infections of potatoes, to our knowledge, this is the first report of a natural PSTVd infection on tomatoes in the United States. The exact source of the PSTVd inoculum in the current disease outbreak is unknown, but it could have been introduced from infected potato or ornamental plants (4) or through infected tomato seeds. The disease epidemic might have been enhanced by frequent hands-on activities in greenhouse tomato production and the environmental conditions (high temperature and intense lighting) in the greenhouse that favor symptom expression. References: (1) K.-S. Ling and W. Zhang, Plant Dis. 93:1216, 2009. (2). A. M. Shamloul et al. Can. J. Plant Pathol. 19:89, 1997. (3) J. Th. J. Verhoeven et al. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 110:823, 2004. (4) J. Th. J. Verhoeven et al. Plant Pathol. 59:3, 2010.


2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e1008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Elvira-González ◽  
Caterina Carpino ◽  
Ana Alfaro-Fernández ◽  
María I. Font-San Ambrosio ◽  
Rosa Peiró ◽  
...  

Southern tomato virus (STV) is a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) virus belonging to genus Amalgavirus (family Amalgamaviridae). STV has been detected in tomato plants showing different symptoms although it has not been demonstrated that STV is the causal agent. To study the STV incidence and its pathogenic role, a sensitive and quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay (RT-qPCR) was developed. The standard curve performed with viral RNA transcripts allowed a wide dynamic range for STV quantitation from 104 to 1011 copies/ng of total RNA. STV detection by RT-qPCR was 102-fold more sensitive than conventional RT-PCR or RT-LAMP and 104-fold more sensitive than molecular hybridization. STV was detected in different tomato plant tissues, as well as in the coat and the embryo of individual seeds. Also, viral concentration remained constant over time in leaf tissues of STV-infected tomato plants. Surveys on different tomato fields from Spain revealed that STV was widespread. In addition, the virus was detected in almost every tomato variety and nursery analyzed. STV-infected tomato plants did not show any disease-related symptom suggesting that the virus was not directly the causal agent of any tomato disease. However, there is no information about the STV effect in mixed infections or in abiotic stressed conditions and further studies must be performed to clarify it. The RT-qPCR assay developed in this work could be implemented on sanitation programs in order to limit the virus spread and could be used to study the effect of STV in mix infections or abiotic stressed conditions.


Plant Disease ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 91 (8) ◽  
pp. 1055-1055 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Th. J. Verhoeven ◽  
C. C. C. Jansen ◽  
J. W. Roenhorst ◽  
S. Steyer ◽  
D. Michelante

During August of 2006, a sample of a tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum, formerly Lycopersicum esculentum) from a greenhouse in Belgium was received for diagnosis. The plant showed severe growth reduction and the young leaves were chlorotic and distorted. In the greenhouse, the disease had been spreading slowly along the row. These observations suggested the presence of a viroid infection, and reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR with two sets of universal pospiviroid primers (Pospi1-RE/FW and Vid-FW/RE; 3) yielded amplicons of the expected size (approximately 196 and 360 bp). Sequence analysis of the larger PCR product revealed that the genome was 358 nt and 100% identical to two isolates of Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) previously submitted to the NCBI GenBank (Accession Nos. AJ583449 from the United Kingdom and AY962324 from Australia). A pathogen associated with the symptomatic tomato plants was therefore identified as PSTVd. Tracing the origin of the infection revealed the following information: during November of 2005, 8-day-old tomato seedlings raised from seed by a Dutch nursery were transferred to a small part of the greenhouse of the Belgian grower; 7 to 8 weeks later, the plants were transplanted to their final destination; during May of 2006, the grower first observed growth reduction in a single plant; several weeks later, similar symptoms were observed in two more plants in the same row close to the first symptomatic plant; and by September, there were approximately 20 symptomatic tomato plants, all located in two adjacent rows. The viroid outbreak was fully eradicated by destroying all tomato plants in the affected rows as well as in two adjacent rows at both sides. The absence of further infections was confirmed by testing approximately 1,200 tomato plants in pooled samples for PSTVd by RT-PCR (2) and real-time RT-PCR (1). The origin and the method of introduction and spread of the viroid remain unclear. References: (1) N. Boonham et al. J. Virol. Methods 116:139, 2004. (2) R. A. Mumford et al. Plant Pathol. 53:242, 2004. (3) J. Th. J. Verhoeven et al. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 110:823, 2004.


Plant Disease ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 94 (4) ◽  
pp. 479-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. I. Ward ◽  
J. Tang ◽  
S. Veerakone ◽  
B. D. Quinn ◽  
S. J. Harper ◽  
...  

In February 2009, 10 cape gooseberry plants (Physalis peruviana) grown from seed on a domestic property in Christchurch, New Zealand, showed severe leaf distortion, fasciation and etiolation of growing tips, and weak flowering. Symptoms were first observed in the emerging seedlings. No virus particles were observed in sap from infected plants with the electron microscope. Total RNA was isolated from leaves of the 10 plants with a Qiagen RNeasy Plant Mini Kit (Valencia, CA). All 10 plants tested positive for Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) by real-time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR (1) and by RT-PCR with PSTVd-specific primers (3) and generic pospiviroid primers (4). For both conventional PCRs, the expected 359-bp amplicons were sequenced directly and sequences were aligned together to create a consensus sequence (GenBank Accession No. FJ797614). BLASTn analysis showed 98% nucleotide identity to PSTVd (EU862231, DQ308556, X17268, and AY532801–AY532804). Sap from one of the infected plants was mechanically inoculated onto healthy P. peruviana, Solanum lycopersicum ‘Rutgers’, Chenopodium amaranticolor, C. quinoa, Cucumis sativum ‘Crystal Apple’, Gomphrena globosa, Nicotiana benthamiana, N. clevelandii, N. occidentalis ‘37B’, N. tabacum ‘WB’, N. sylvestris, and Phaseolus vulgaris ‘Prince’. After 4 weeks, the leaves of the ‘Rutgers’ tomato plants were showing severe distortion, purpling, and necrosis of mid-veins and P. peruviana plants were showing distortion of newly emerging apical leaves. Healthy control P. peruviana were asymptomatic. Symptoms appeared milder than that observed in the original P. peruviana plants, but this may be related to different environmental conditions or age or growth stage of the plants when inoculated. All other indicator plants were symptomless, but along with P. peruviana, tested positive for PSTVd by real-time RT-PCR (1). The presence of PSTVd was further confirmed in one original symptomatic and the mechanically inoculated P. peruviana plants and in the indicator plants by dot-blot hybridization with a digoxygenin-labeled synthetic ssRNA probe specific to the full-length PSTVd genome. PSTVd has been reported in New Zealand previously in commercial glasshouse crops of tomatoes and peppers (2), but was eradicated and so remains a regulated pest. The plants were grown from seeds imported from Germany and it is possible that the infection was seedborne. PSTVd was reported in young cape gooseberry seedlings in Germany and Turkey but the infection was asymptomatic (5). Symptoms were associated with the PSTVd-infected cape gooseberry in New Zealand. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the viroid in domestically grown plants in New Zealand, and only the second report of PSTVd in cape gooseberry worldwide. Our findings suggest that this species is an emerging host for PSTVd and that dissemination of seed may provide a pathway for international movement of the viroid. References: (1) N. Boonham et al. J. Virol. Methods 116:139, 2004. (2) B. S. M. Lebas et al. Australas. Plant Pathol. 34:129, 2005. (3) A. M. Shamoul et al. Can. J. Plant Pathol. 19:89, 1997. (4) J. T. H. Verhoeven et al. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 110:823, 2004. (5) J. T. H. Verhoeven et al. Plant Dis. 93:316, 2009.


Plant Disease ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 98 (5) ◽  
pp. 698-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Tomitaka ◽  
T. Usugi ◽  
R. Kozuka ◽  
S. Tsuda

In 2009, some commercially grown tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, exhibited mosaic symptoms. Ten plants from a total of about 72,000 cultivated plants in the greenhouses showed such symptoms. To identify the causal agent, sap from leaves of the diseased plants was inoculated into Chenopodium quinoa and Nicotiana benthamiana plants. Local necrotic lesions appeared on inoculated leaves of C. quinoa, but no systemic infection was observed. Systemic mosaic symptoms were observed on the N. benthamiana plants inoculated. Single local lesion isolation was performed three times using C. quinoa to obtain a reference isolate for further characterization. N. benthamiana was used for propagation of the isolate. Sap from infected leaves of N. benthamiana was mechanically inoculated into three individual S. lycopersicum cv. Momotaro. Symptoms appearing on inoculated tomatoes were indistinguishable from those of diseased tomato plants found initially in the greenhouse. Flexuous, filamentous particles, ~750 nm long, were observed by electron microscopy in the sap of the tomato plants inoculated with the isolate, indicating that the infecting virus may belong to the family Potyviridae. To determine genomic sequence of the virus, RT-PCR was performed. Total RNA was extracted from the tomato leaves experimentally infected with the isolate using an RNeasy Plant Mini kit (QIAGEN, Hilden, Germany). RT-PCR was performed by using a set of universal, degenerate primers for Potyviruses as previously reported (2). Amplicons (~1,500 bp) generated by RT-PCR were extracted from the gels using the QIAquick Gel Extraction kit (QIAGEN) and cloned into pCR-BluntII TOPO (Invitrogen, San Diego, CA). DNA sequences of three individual clones were determined using a combination of plasmid and virus-specific primers, showing that identity among three clones was 99.8%. A consensus nucleotide sequence of the isolate was deposited in GenBank (AB823816). BLASTn analysis of the nucleotide sequence determined showed 99% identity with a partial sequence in the NIb/coat protein (CP) region of Colombian datura virus (CDV) tobacco isolate (JQ801448). Comparison of the amino acid sequence predicted for the CP with previously reported sequences for CDV (AY621656, AJ237923, EU571230, AM113759, AM113754, and AM113761) showed 97 to 100% identity range. Subsequently, CDV infection in both the original and experimentally inoculated plants was confirmed by RT-PCR using CDV-specific primers (CDVv and CDVvc; [1]), and, hence, the causal agent of the tomato disease observed in greenhouse tomatoes was proved to be CDV. The first case of CDV on tomato was reported in Netherlands (3), indicating that CDV was transmitted by aphids from CDV-infected Brugmansia plants cultivated in the same greenhouse. We carefully investigated whether Brugmansia plants naturally grew around the greenhouses, but we could not find them inside or in proximity to the greenhouses. Therefore, sources of CDV inoculum in Japan are still unclear. This is the first report of a mosaic disease caused by CDV on commercially cultivated S. lycopersicum in Japan. References: (1) D. O. Chellemi et al. Plant Dis. 95:755, 2011. (2) J. Chen et al. Arch. Virol. 146:757, 2001. (3) J. Th. J. Verhoeven et al. Eur. J. Plant. Pathol. 102:895, 1996.


Plant Disease ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 98 (11) ◽  
pp. 1589-1589 ◽  
Author(s):  
F.-F. Zhao ◽  
D.-H. Xi ◽  
J. Liu ◽  
X.-G. Deng ◽  
H.-H. Lin

Chilli veinal mottle virus (ChiVMV), a potyvirus, is widespread over the world. In China, it was first reported in chili pepper (Capsicum annuum) in Hainan Province (south China) in 2006 (2). Subsequently, it was reported in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) in Yunnan Province (southwest China) in 2011 (1). Sichuan Province is one of the largest vegetable producing areas of China. In May 2012, tomatoes with leaves displaying virus-infected symptoms like mottling, mosaic, narrowing, or curling were observed in several fields of Chengdu, eastern Sichuan Province, southwest China. Of the 20 fields we investigated, four fields with 90% tomato plants were infected. During 2012 and 2013, six samples were collected from symptomatic tomato leaves based on different symptoms and locations. All six samples were assayed by western blotting using polyclonal antisera (Cucumber mosaic virus [CMV], Tobacco mosaic virus [TMV]) obtained from Agdia (Elkhart) and one antiserum to ChiVMV obtained from Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Science (China). Two samples from Pengzhou and one sample from Shuangliu exhibiting mosaic leaves were positive for TMV, one sample from Pixian exhibiting narrowing leaves was positive for CMV, and the other two samples from Shuangliu exhibiting mottle and leaf distortion were positive for ChiVMV. Total RNAs was extracted from all six samples and healthy tomato leaves using Trizol reagent (Invitrogen), First-strand cDNA synthesis primed with oligo(dT) by SuperScript III Reverse Transcriptase (Invitrogen). RT-PCR was performed using primer pairs ChiVMV-CP F (5′-GCAGGAGAGAGTGTTGATGCTG-3′) and ChiVMV–CP R (5′-(T)16AACGCCAACTATTG-3′), which were designed to direct the amplification of the entire capsid protein (CP) gene and 3′ untranslated region (3′-UTR) of ChiVMV (GenBank Accession No. KC711055). The expected 1,166-bp DNA fragment was amplified from the two tomato samples from Shuangliu that were positive for ChiVMV in the western blot tests, but not from the others. The obtained fragments were purified and cloned into the PMD18-T vector (TaKaRa) and sequenced. The sequencing results showed that the two ChiVMV isolates from tomato in Shuangliu were identical (KF738253). Nucleotide BLAST analysis revealed that this ChiVMV isolate shared ~84 to 99% nucleotide identities with other ChiVMV isolates available in GenBank (KC711055 to KF220408). To fulfill Koch's postulates, we isolated this virus by three cycle single lesion isolation in N. tabacum, and mechanically inoculated it onto tomato leaves. The same mottle and leaf distortion symptoms in systemic leaves were observed. Subsequent RT-PCR, fragment clone, and sequence determination tests were repeated and the results were the same. All the evidence from these tests revealed that the two tomato plants were infected by ChiVMV. To our knowledge, this is the first report of ChiVMV naturally infecting tomato in China. It shows that ChiVMV is spreading in China and is naturally infecting a new solanaceous crop in the southwest area, and the spread of the virus may affect tomato crop yields in China. Thus, it is very important to seek an effective way to control this virus. References: (1) M. Ding et al. Plant Dis. 95:357, 2011. (2) J. Wang et al. Plant Dis. 90:377, 2006.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marleen Botermans ◽  
Johanna W. Roenhorst ◽  
Marinus Hooftman ◽  
Jacobus Th.J. Verhoeven ◽  
Eveline Metz ◽  
...  

AbstractPotato spindle tuber viroid and other pospiviroids can cause serious diseases in potato and tomato crops. Consequently, pospiviroids are regulated in several countries. Since seed transmission is considered as a pathway for the introduction and spread of pospiviroids, some countries demand for the testing of seed lots of solanaceous crops for the presence of pospiviroids. A real-time RT-PCR test, named PospiSense, was developed for testing pepper (Capsicum annuum) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) seeds for seven pospiviroid species known to occur naturally in these crops. The test consists of two multiplex reactions running in parallel, PospiSense 1 and PospiSense 2, that target Citrus exocortis viroid (CEVd), Columnea latent viroid (CLVd), pepper chat fruit viroid (PCFVd), potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd), tomato apical stunt viroid (TASVd), tomato chlorotic dwarf viroid (TCDVd) and tomato planta macho viroid (TPMVd, including the former Mexican papita viroid). Dahlia latent viroid (DLVd) is used as an internal isolation control. Validation of the test showed that for both pepper and tomato seeds the current requirements of a routine screening test are fulfilled, i.e. the ability to detect one infested seed in a sample of c.1000 seeds for each of these seven pospiviroids. Additionally, the Pospisense test performed well in an inter-laboratory comparison, which included two routine seed-testing laboratories, and as such provides a relatively easy alternative to the currently used tests.


Plant Disease ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 89 (7) ◽  
pp. 776-776 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Mnari Hattab ◽  
J. Kummert ◽  
S. Roussel ◽  
K. Ezzaier ◽  
A. Zouba ◽  
...  

Viruses, distributed worldwide on cucurbits, cause severe damage to crops. Virus surveys in 2003 and 2004 were made in all the major cucurbit-growing areas in Tunisia. Large populations of aphids (Aphis gossypii Glover) and severe yellowing symptoms of older leaves of cucurbits were observed in outdoor and under plastic-tunnel cultivation, suggesting the presence of Cucurbit aphid-borne yellows virus (CABYV, genus Polerovirus, family Luteoviridae). Leaf samples collected from symptomatic and asymptomatic plants of melon (Cucumis melo L.), cucumber (C. sativus L.), squash (Cucurbita pepo L.), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.), and ware cucurbit (Ecballium elaterium L. T. Richard) were screened for the presence of CABYV using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Reference isolate, CABYV-N (GenBank Accession No. X76931) was provided by H. Lecoq (INRA-Monfavet Cedex, France). Sample extracts from fresh leaf tissues were tested using ELISA with an antiserum prepared against this isolate. In addition, total RNA was extracted from fresh leaf tissues according to the technique of Celix et al. (2) using the Titan RT-PCR kit from Roche Diagnostics (Penzberg, Germany). Forward primer (5′-GAGGCGAAGGCGAAGAAATC-3′) and reverse primer (5′-TCTGGACCTGGCACTTGATG-3′) were designed with the available sequence of the reference isolate. ELISA tests demonstrated that 91 plants were positive among 160 plants tested with severe yellowing symptoms. All asymptomatic plants were negative. RT-PCR results yielded an expected 550-bp product that was amplified from the reference isolate. Of the 160 plants tested using ELISA, 106 plants were screened with RT-PCR including the 91 plants that were positive in ELISA. These 91 plants also were positive after RT-PCR amplification as were 12 more plants. This demonstrated that the RT-PCR test is more sensitive. No amplicons were produced from extracts of asymptomatic plants, RNA preparations of Cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus (CYSDV), or Beet pseudo yellows virus (BPYV) positive controls provided by B. Falk (University of California, Davis). CYSDV and BPYV can induce similar yellowing symptoms in cucurbits. The results of the ELISA and RT-PCR tests showed that CABYV is widely distributed on five cucurbit species in the major growing areas of Tunisia including the northern, Sahel, central, and southern regions where it was detected, respectively, in 10 of 25, 11 of 21, 24 of 37, and 58 of 77 samples tested. CABYV was detected at the rates of 63 of 72 on melon, 10 of 21 on cucumber, 17 of 24 on squash, 10 of 25 on watermelon, and 3 of 18 on ware cucurbit. CABYV also seems to be widespread throughout the Mediterranean Basin (1,3,4), but to our knowledge, this is the first report of the occurrence of CABYV in Tunisia on different species of cucurbit and ware cucurbit. References: (1) Y. Abou-Jawdah et al. Crop Prot. 19:217, 2000. (2) A. Celix et al. Phytopathology 86:1370, 1996. (3) M. Juarez et al. Plant Dis. 88:907, 2004. (4) H. Lecoq et al. Plant Pathol. 41:749, 1992.


Plant Disease ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 103 (7) ◽  
pp. 1525-1535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ozgur Batuman ◽  
Ö. Cem Çiftçi ◽  
Michael K. Osei ◽  
Sally A. Miller ◽  
Maria R. Rojas ◽  
...  

Rasta is a virus-like disease of unknown etiology affecting tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants in Ghana. Symptoms include stunting; epinasty, crumpling, and chlorosis of leaves; and necrosis of leaf veins, petioles, and stems. Leaf samples with rasta symptoms were collected from commercial tomato fields in Ghana in October 2012 and applied to FTA cards, and RNA extracts were prepared. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests with primers for Columnea latent viroid, which causes rasta-like symptoms in tomato plants in Mali, were negative, whereas tests with degenerate viroid primer pairs were inconclusive. However, tomato seedlings (Early Pak 7) mechanically inoculated with RNA extracts of 10 of 13 samples developed rasta-like symptoms. In RT-PCR tests with RNA from leaves of the 10 symptomatic seedlings and primers for Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) or Tomato apical stunt viroid (TASVd), the expected size (approximately 360 bp) of DNA fragment was amplified from eight and two seedlings, respectively. Sequence analyses confirmed that these fragments were from PSTVd and TASVd isolates, and revealed a single PSTVd haplotype and two TASVd haplotypes. The PSTVd and TASVd isolates from Ghana had high nucleotide identities (>94%) with isolates from other geographic regions. In a host range study, PSTVd and TASVd isolates from Ghana induced rasta symptoms in the highly susceptible tomato cultivar Early Pak 7 and mild or no symptoms in Glamour, and symptomless infections in a number of other solanaceous species. PSTVd and TASVd isolates were seed associated and possibly seed transmitted.


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