0000000001294848
AUTHOR
S. Davino
Molecular characterization of cucumber mosaic virus isolates infecting ornamental species cultivated in the botanical garden of Bologna university.
During an epidemiological survey carried out in the Botanical Garden at Bologna University, Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) has been detected by applying PAS-ELISA technique infecting some ornamental species exhibiting a severe symptomatology on the leaves. Datura innoxia Miller. showed mosaic and leaf-curling; Globularia nudicaulis L. produced narrowed leaves with a yellow mosaic and/or variegation; Eupatorium cannabinum L. showed a systemic chlorotic and/or yellow mosaic and stunting. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) were employed to characterise these CMV isolates. Total RNA was extracted from symptomatic leaf samples…
Spread of Citrus tristeza virus in an area of Sicily.
Analisys of a natural population of Cucumber mosaic virus infecting medicinal plants
La tristeza degli agrumi..
Glucose, fructose and saccharose metabolism in Dipsacus silvestris infected by Cucumber mosaic virus.
Dipsacus silvestris Miller (or Fuller’s Teasel) (Dipsacaceae) showing stunting, chlorotic leaf mosaic and narrowing of the lamina, has been found for the first time in Italy naturally infected by Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). This virus was detected in PAS-ELISA tests and molecularly characterized by applying RT-PCR, using specific primers for the movement protein gene of RNA3 (forward 5’ CTA GGC TTT CCA AGC TAC CAG 3’; reverse 5’ CTA AAG ACC GTT AAC CAC CTG C 3’). The content of glucose, fructose and saccharose, determined by HPLC analysis, was calculated in both healthy (h) and CMV-infected (i) D. silvestris plants during the chronic infection period. An higher content of these carbohydrat…
Malattie da virus, viroidi e fitoplasmi degli agrumi in Italia e metodi di diagnosi
Characterization of a Cucumber mosaic virus isolate infecting Mandevilla sanderi (Hemsl.) Woodson
In 2004, virus-like symptoms consisting of yellow rings in older leaves were observed in the foliage of Mandevilla sanderi grown from shoots in the province of Catania (Sicily, Italy). The plants were tested for virus presence using DAS-ELISA, mechanical inoculations to the host, RT-PCR and SSCP. Serological tests detected Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) in all symptomatic leaf samples. The virus was mechanically transmitted to 11 of the 15 host species tested, including some of the Chenopodiaceae and Solanaceae families; indicator plants showed symptoms typical of CMV subgroup I. RT-PCR, SSCP and cloning were employed to characterize this CMV isolate, and to make clear its genetic relationship…
Effects of Cucumber mosaic virus and Aster yellows phytoplasma (16SrI-B) on the quality of Echinacea purpurea essential oil.
Echinacea purpurea Moench (L.), known as purple coneflower, is one of the most important medicinal plants, used worldwide for its immunostimulant, bacteriostatic and anti-inflammatory properties, as natural drug and/or food supplement (as infusion). In a previous study carried out in 2002 in Italy to verify possible influence of viral infectious on the plant oil composition, the oil from plants (grown at the Herb Garden of Casola Valsenio, Emilia Romagna region) infected by Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) was compared to the one from healthy plant by combined gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analyses. Significant quantitative variations in their compositions were verified; the infec…
Characterization of p20 and p23 genes in Corsican isolates of Citrus tristeza virus.
Tristeza disease, caused by the Citrus tristeza virus (CTV), is the most important viral disease for almost all the citrus species. Main syndromes are quick decline, stem pitting, vein clearing and seedlings yellows but expression and intensity of symptomatology depends on the interactions of the factors involved in the pathosystem such as host-strain-rootstock-climate-vector. Several isolates of CTV have been studied all over the world. Two Corsican isolates have been previously characterized, the K strain from Marumi kumquat, known to be symptomless on Mexican lime, and the CaL -1 from calamondin inducing stem pitting, but no sequences of p20 gene are published or available in GenBank. Tw…
First report of Southern tomato virus in tomato crops in Italy
Twenty-five tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum) showing symptoms of viral disease were sampled from different greenhouses in the Ragusa province (Southern Italy) in summer 2015. Plants showed chlorosis on leaves and fruits and deformation and depressed spots of dark colour which later evolved into necrosis (Fig. 1). These symptoms were observed on the entire cluster of fruit making the product unsaleable. Based on these symptoms, samples were analysed for Cucumber mosaic virus, Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV), Potato virus Y (PVY), Tomato mosaic virus and Tomato spotted wilt virus by DAS-ELISA with polyclonal antibodies (Loewe Phytodiagnostica, Germany), and for the emerging Southern tomato vi…
Diffusione del virus della “Tristeza” degli agrumi (CTV) in Sicilia.
OCCURRENCE OF TOMATO LEAF CURL NEW DELHI VIRUS INFECTING ZUCCHINI IN SARDINIA (ITALY)
Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV, genus Begomovirus) is a bipartite, circular, ssDNA virus, able to infect species within the Cucurbitaceae and Solanaceae. In August 2016, field observations carried out in Sardinia (Italy) highlighted in one location (Decimoputzu, CA) some plants of zucchini squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) showing a systemic disease never observed before, even in a previous survey (end-June 2016) on cucurbit viruses.
Gravi malformazioni in melanzana in Sicilia associate alla presenza di fitoplasmi
Stunting and leaf malformation were repeatedly observed during vegetative growth in eggplant cultivations located in Sicily (Ragusa). Symptoms appear during first weeks after transplantation, and modify normal shape of plants as well as decrease their production, in several cases stunting was present but only in half of the plant. The disease was scattered distributed in the fields and with percentages below 10%. Samples were collected from symptomatic and asymptomatic plants, and shoots and midribs were used for nucleic acid exstraction to verify possible phytoplasma presence and identity. Nested PCR assays with primers P1/P7 followed by R16mF1/R16mR1 (Gundersen and Lee, 1996) allow to obt…
Turnip mosaic virus infecting Eruca sativa in Sicily
In the Spring of 2010, Eruca sativa Mill. (Brassicaceae family), also known as rocket, cultivated in a private garden of Sicily region was found to show a severe virus-like disease consisting of mosaic, interveinal yellowing and/or dark greening areas on crinkled leaves and stunting. Preliminary electron microscopy observations of leaf-dips revealed the presence of flexuous filamentous particles 700-750 nm long. Considering that in 1959, in Italy, this species has been indicated as a natural host of Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV), symptomatic leaf samples were serological tested to verify the presence of this potyvirus. Both ISEM and PAS-ELISA analyses were positive to TuMV infection. Mechanica…
Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl: one disease, many viruses.
Virescence of tenweeks stock associated to phytoplasma infection in Sicily
In April 2007, a severe disease occurred in Sicily (Italy) in a glasshouse cultivation of tenweeks stock belonging to the cultivar White-Beach. Plants were stunted and rosetted, and the flowers were of small size and characterized by virescence symptoms. Phytoplasma presence and identity was detected by applying PCR/RFLP techniques and sequencing of 16S ribosomal gene. Phytoplasmas were identified as belonging to ribosomal subgroup 16SrII-A, never reported before in Italy and showed 99% of homology with ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia’ and related phytoplasmas. This is the first report of a phytoplasma disease of tenweeks stock. Considering that this Brassicaceae ornamental species is …
Stephanotis floribunda infetta da TSWV in Liguria.
Il genere Stephanotis (famiglia delle Asclepiadaceae ) comprende cinque specie di piante rampicanti, sempreverdi, originarie del Madagascar. La più nota ed apprezzata è la specie S. floribunda Brongn., i cui fiori tubulosi, bianchi, leggermente carnosi, riuniti in ombrelle ascellari, sbocciano da maggio ad ottobre emanando un intenso e gradevole profumo. Questi fiori ricordano molto quelli del gelsomino, pur essendo più grandi e cerosi, ma questa somiglianza è bastata ad attribuire alla pianta l’appellativo “gelsomino del Madagascar”. S. floribunda costituisce una coltura di recente introduzione nella Piana di Albenga (Savona): la sua coltivazione è per ora limitata a poche aziende che prod…