ISHS Acta Horticulturae 472: XVII International Symposium Virus and Virus-Like Diseases of Temperate Fruit Crops
OCCURRENCE OF VIROIDS IN TEMPERATE FRUIT TREES IN ITALY |
| Authors: | S. Loreti, F. Faggioli, R. Barrale, M. Barba |
| Abstract:
We have applied a useful and reliable protocol for the detection of pear blister canker (PBCVd), apple scar skin (ASSVd), peach latent mosaic (PLMVd) and hop stunt (HSVd) viroids in pome and stone fruit trees. The protocol foresees the use of non-radioactive (digoxigenin) probes in tissue blot (PLMVd, ASSVd and HSVd) assays or in spot blot hybridization assays (PBCVd). Leaf, fruit or bark tissue was used for nucleic acid extraction or tissue blotting. Moreover, a survey was carried out to investigate the distribution of viroids in fruit trees in Italy. The results showed that out of 320 plants (belonging to 18 pear, 4 nashi and 40 apple varieties) assayed: (i) six pear plants (cv 'Coscia') grown near Rome (5 plants) and the Emilia Romagna region (1 plant) were found infected with PBCVd - this is the first report of the presence of PBCVd in Italy; (ii) Among samples belonging to 40 different cvs of Malus pumila, M. communis, M. robusta, M. baccata, M. prunifolia, 18 of Pyrus communis, and 4 of nashi, none were found infected with ASSVd; (iii) PLMVd is present in about 50% of tested peach samples, both in the symptomatic and symptomless plants - the viroid was also detected in two plum trees; (iv) HSVd has been detected in peach, plum, apricot and almond mainly in mixed infection with apple chlorotic leaf spot trichovirus (ACLSV). | |
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