Accumulation of short interfering RNAs characteristic of RNA silencing precedes recovery of tomato plants from severe symptoms of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Potato spindle tuber viroid</Emphasis> infection

Tomato plants infected with Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) had severe leaf curling and vein necrosis. The disease symptoms began to diminish during the late stages of infection, however, and almost healthy-looking leaves began to appear on the upper portion of the plants. PSTVd concentrations reached their highest levels in leaves with severe symptoms and decreased in upper leaves recovering from severe symptoms. PSTVd-specific short interfering RNAs (siRNAs), characteristic of RNA silencing, accumulated in all leaves in which PSTVd reached a detectable level, suggesting that recovery from severe disease was induced by RNA silencing via sequence-specific degradation of PSTVd.     

Reliability of nucleic acid amplification techniques: modified target RNA as exogenous internal standard for a real‐time RT‐PCR for Potato spindle tuber pospiviroid*

Techniques based on nucleic acid amplification techniques, like PCR, are quick, sensitive and specific, and therefore very suitable for the development of diagnostic tests. These techniques enable the detection of very small amounts of target organisms by specific amplification of part of its genome. This exquisite sensitivity puts a high demand on measures to prevent false‐positive reactions due to contamination of the laboratory with nucleic acid, hence the need for inclusion of negative controls. In addition, to exclude false negatives, the performance of the reactions must be measured by the inclusion of several positive controls, e.g. cytochrome oxidase (COX) primers (and probes) to monitor efficiency of the nucleic acid extraction and an internal control to monitor inhibition of the target PCR. For the RT‐PCR assay for Potato spindle tuber pospiviroid (PSTVd) recently described by Boonham and coworkers, we have developed an exogenous internal standard, i.e. in vitro RNA transcribed from a plasmid containing a modified PSTVd sequence (a 17‐bp sequence of cloned PSTVd (isolate Howell) was substituted for a 118‐bp sequence of Escherichia coli). To this exogenous sequence, a specific probe was designed with a fluorescent label different from that of the PSTVd‐specific probe. By making use of the same primers as the target organism PSTVd, this internal standard provides a tool to measure the performance of the specific reaction. Moreover, by using another fluorescent probe, this standard can easily be discriminated from the target organism. The approach used for the construction of the internal control for PSTVd offers a tool for the construction of internal standards for other pathogens.     

Detection of PSTVd and TCDVd in seeds of tomato using real‐time RT‐PCR

Worldwide outbreaks of pospiviroids in potato and tomato have increased the need for a reliable test for the detection of pospiviroids in seeds. This study describes the development and validation of a sensitive and fast test for the detection of Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) and Tomato chlorotic dwarf viroid (TCDVd) in tomato seeds. The test is based on RNA isolation using a commercial kit and is suitable for routine application. The test is able to detect one PSTVd or TCDVd contaminated seed in sub samples of 1000 seeds and results were both repeatable and reproducible.     

Mechanical transmission of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Potato spindle tuber viroid</Emphasis> between plants of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brugmansia suaveoles,Solanum jasminoides</Emphasis> and potatoes and tomatoes

Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) has been recently found in many solanaceous ornamental plant species. This study reports on the effectiveness of mechanical transmission between Brugmansia suaveolens, Solanum jasminoides, potato and tomato. Inoculation with ‘infected’ plant sap diluted in water, rubbing with contaminated finger tips and cutting with contaminated razor blades all resulted in transmission of PSTVd. Temperature, plant species and source of inoculum were found to be critical factors. An average temperature of 15°C only resulted in a few infections, whereas transmission at 20 and 25°C was more successful. Tomatoes were more susceptible to PSTVd than B. suaveolens, S. jasminoides and potatoes. Furthermore, S. jasminoides was a better source of inoculum than B. suaveolens. No transmission was obtained after repeated addition of inocula to tomato roots. These results indicate that PSTVd can be transmitted between plant species in practice by crop handling.     

Composting to sanitize plant‐based waste infected with organisms of plant health importance

The potential for using the composting process to sanitize plant waste infected with one of three plant pathogens was investigated using bench‐scale composting equipment. Two of these pathogens, the potato wart disease fungus Synchytrium endobioticum and Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) are currently subject to European quarantine regulations. The third, Polymyxa betae, a parasite of sugar beet, is regulated in some European countries when in association with Beet necrotic yellow vein virus (BNYVV), the causal organism of rhizomania disease of sugar beet. Survival of test organisms following various combinations of compost temperature, exposure time and moisture was determined using RNA‐based detection methodology and/or plant‐based bioassays. Mathematically definable relationships between compost treatment (temperature/time) and organism viability were identified for P. betae and S. endobioticum; these give some indication of the practicality of using composting for dealing with infected wastes. However, for PSTVd, the considerable variability in measured susceptibility of the viroid to the composting process meant that no such definable relationship could be determined and further work would be needed to extrapolate to practical situations.     

Potato spindle tuber viroid on potato

Specific scope

This standard describes a national regulatory control system for Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) that provides guidance on preventing its introduction, surveillance for the pathogen and its containment and eradication if found infecting potato plants or tubers.

Specific approval and amendment

First approved in 2011‐09.     

Molecular characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Potato spindle tuber viroid</Emphasis> in dahlia

A new variant of Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) was detected for the first time from dahlia grown in Japan. The dahlia isolate of PSTVd formed a quasi-species and a major sequence variant consisting of 361 nucleotides in length, including five substitutions, three insertions, and one deletion, when compared to the intermediate strain from potato. In bioassays with the new isolate, Rutgers tomato developed mild stunting and leaf curling.     

Transmission by aphids of potato spindle tuber viroid encapsidated by potato leafroll luteovirus particles

Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) was transmitted by Myzus persicae to Physalis floridana from P. floridana plants that also were infected with potato leafroll luteovirus (PLRV), whereas it was not transmitted by aphids from plants infected with PSTVd alone. Dot-blot hybridisation was used to detect PSTVd. The results indicate that PLRV can assist PSTVd in its transmission by M. persicae. Doubly infected, aphid-inoculated P. floridana plants from the previous experiment were used as the source plants in aphid transmission tests to the tomato cv. Rutgers, P. floridana and Datura stramonium. PSTVd was detected in 17 of 30 plants of tomato. The viroid was not detected by dot-blotting in any plant of P. floridana and D. stramonium in this experiment, but it was recovered from some plants by sap inoculation of the Rutgers plants. Treatment with RNase A of PLRV preparations purified from doubly infected plants indicated that PSTVd was encapsidated by PLRV particles.     

Epidemiological evidence that vegetatively propagated, solanaceous plant species act as sources of Potato spindle tuber viroid inoculum for tomato

In autumn 2006 in the Netherlands, Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) infections were detected in 42·3 and 71·9% of professionally grown lots of Brugmansia spp. and Solanum jasminoides respectively. The infected lots contained 73 985 and 431 374 plants, respectively, demonstrating the presence of many potential viroid sources for tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ). PSTVd was identified in cultivars of Brugmansia × candida , B. × flava , B. sanguinea , B. suaveolens and unspecified Brugmansia species/cultivars. Most infected lots of Brugmansia spp. originated from a single Dutch nursery; most infected lots of S. jasminoides originated abroad. Sequence analysis revealed that the PSTVd genomes from Brugmansia spp. contained an average of 360 nt, whereas all genomes from S. jasminoides except one consisted of 357 nt. Furthermore, the collective PSTVd genotypes showed polymorphism at four or more positions, except for two cases in which genotypes from Brugmansia spp. and S. jasminoides were identical. Phylogenetic studies showed that PSTVd genotypes from Brugmansia spp. and S. jasminoides grouped apart from each other and from PSTVd isolates from potato ( Solanum tuberosum ) and Physalis peruviana . The PSTVd genotypes from tomato did not form a separate cluster, but were dispersed over clusters of vegetatively or partly vegetatively propagated plant species, i.e. potato, P. peruviana and S. jasminoides . Moreover, mechanical inoculation of the predominant PSTVd genotypes from S. jasminoides to tomato was successful. These results provide evidence that vegetatively propagated, solanaceous plant species have been sources of infection for tomato crops in the past.     

不同探针大小、标记物及反应底物对马铃薯类病毒杂交检测的影响

 灵敏可靠地检测马铃薯纺锤块茎类病毒(Potato spindle tuber viroid,PSTVd)对脱毒种薯的生产具有重要意义。本研究探索了影响核酸杂交检测技术的关键因素。通过基因克隆技术构建了插有PSTVd全长单体、双体及片段的载体。分别以地高辛和同位素为标记物,利用PCR和转录标记技术制备cDNA和RNA探针。比较探针大小、标记物、标记方法、反应底物等对检测灵敏度的影响。结果显示,以地高辛为标记物,利用PCR标记制备的PSTVd双体cDNA探针,在以CDP-Star为底物,通过在柯达X-OMAT BT胶片进行化学发光反应来分析结果的检测灵敏度最高,可以检测到0.05 pg总RNA中的PSTVd,是国外报道检测灵敏度的500倍。利用核酸斑点杂交技术检测PSTVd具有灵敏度高,一次可检测样品数量多等特点,对于大规模PSTVd检测更加方便可行。     

Potato germplasm poses the highest risk of introducing potato spindle tuber viroid in potatoes in the Netherlands: analysis and evaluation of an outbreak in potato breeding

In 2014, potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) was identified in a potato clone originating from a breeding company in the Netherlands. This clone was submitted for micro propagation and therefore tested for PSTVd and a number of other pathogens. This finding of PSTVd initiated actions to track and eradicate the infections. In addition to the finding at the breeding company, PSTVd was also found at a research institute. At both locations the viroid was eradicated following extended testing and discarding of infected plants. Additional surveys including testing of each individual plant in all crossing glasshouses and random samples of pre-basic and basic seed potatoes, revealed no further infections in the Netherlands. This result concurred with the fact that mechanical spread of PSTVd in the field is not likely under climatic conditions in the Netherlands. Therefore, vegetative propagation seems the most important pathway for maintaining and spreading of PSTVd. Based on the evaluation of this outbreak, it was concluded that potato germplasm poses the highest risk of introducing this viroid in potatoes in the Netherlands.     

Effect of anaerobic soil disinfestation amendment type and C:N ratio on Cyperus esculentus tuber sprouting,growth and reproduction

Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) is a cultural technique primarily targeted for control of soilborne plant pathogens, but can also impact weed propagules. A repeated pot study was conducted to evaluate ASD treatment impact on sprouting and growth of introduced Cyperus esculentus (yellow nutsedge) tubers using dry molasses‐based and wheat bran‐based amendment mixtures at four carbon‐to‐nitrogen (C:N) ratios (from 10:1 to 40:1) and compared with a non‐amended control. The mean percentage of sprouted tubers recovered after ASD treatment was lower for wheat bran‐based (42%) than dry molasses‐based (65%) amendments, and tuber production was 1.6‐fold higher in dry molasses‐based than wheat bran‐based treatments. The highest percentage of sprouted tubers (79%) and the highest mean production of large tubers (threefold higher than wheat bran‐based and 1.7‐fold higher than molasses‐based amendments) were observed for the non‐amended control. Tuber sprouting was significantly lower from all ASD treatments (regardless of amendment C:N ratio) compared with the non‐amended control at a 15 cm burial depth. New tuber production was lowest at C:N ratios of 10:1 and 20:1 and more than twofold higher in the non‐amended control. Wheat bran‐based amendments reduced above‐ground C. esculentus biomass compared with the non‐amended control and ASD treatments with molasses‐based amendments, and reduced below‐ground biomass compared with molasses‐based amendments. Above‐ground biomass was highest at amendment C:N ratio of 10:1, and below‐ground biomass was highest at amendment C:N ratio of 40:1 and the non‐amended control. ASD treatment with wheat bran‐based amendments at lower C:N ratios reduced tuber sprouting and reproduction compared with the non‐amended control, but not at rates high enough to use as a primary weed management tactic.     

马铃薯纺锤块茎类病毒的检测和防治

马铃薯纺锤块茎类病毒病(potato spindle tuber viroid,PSTVd)是一种严重为害马铃薯生产的病害,降低产量20%—30%。防治的主要措施是应用无类病毒的种薯。由于目前还没有脱掉类病毒的有效措施,只能从未被饱和侵染的群体中鉴定筛选出未被侵染的个体,再脱掉其它病毒,作为核心繁殖材料。1987年以来,利用自制的电泳设备,以往复聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳法(return-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis,R-PAGE)检测类病毒,筛选出未感病的个体,再用茎尖组织培养法脱掉其它病毒。经用马铃薯卷叶病毒等8种病毒酶标抗体鉴定筛选,获得既无类病毒也无主要马铃薯病毒的克新1、2、3和4号等主栽马铃薯品种的核心种。并已提供给省内外的良种场繁殖推广。1989和1990年抽样检测克山良种场繁殖的原种、一级和二级良种,未检测到类病毒。     

Phylogeny of five predominant pospiviroid species in Belgium

In Belgium pospiviroids are routinely detected in various hosts. The most frequently found pospiviroids are: Citrus exocortis viroid (CEVd), Chrysanthemum stunt viroid (CSVd), Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd), Tomato apical stunt viroid (TASVd) and Tomato chlorotic dwarf viroid (TCDVd). Apart from the high incidence of pospiviroids in latently-infected ornamentals, viroids have also been found in plants where they cause disease: PSTVd and TCDVd in tomatoes and CSVd in chrysanthemum. In order to gain more epidemiological data on these infections, this study has conducted phylogenetic analyses of Belgian isolates for each of these five pospiviroid species. PSTVd and CEVd-isolates show a clustering depending on host plant identity. This was not observed for TCDVd and TASVd. A very high degree of sequence similarity was noticeable for CSVd-isolates from various hosts. During the past decade, PSTVd and CSVd-infected mother plants have been systematically eradicated in Belgium after positive detection results, also when found in symptomless plants, leading to a decreased trend of these quarantine pests in the past few years. However, other non-quarantine pospiviroid species are still ubiquitously present in many ornamentals. Since these pospiviroids can be equally harmful to crops as the two quarantine pests PSTVd and CSVd, there is still a risk that transmission occurs from symptomless-infected ornamental plants to economically important crops in Belgium such as tomato, pepper and chrysanthemum.     

Distribution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">tomato chlorotic dwarf viroid</Emphasis> in floral organs of tomato

In situ hybridization was used to analyze the distribution pattern of Tomato chlorotic dwarf viroid (TCDVd) in floral organs of tomato plants. Following TCDVd invasion of floral organs, it became localized only in sepals at an early developmental stage, then reached other floral organs at the flower opening stage, with the exception of part of the placenta and ovules. When distribution of TCDVd was compared with that of Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd), TCDVd was not detected in the outer integument around the embryo sac even though PSTVd was able to invade there, suggesting that such specific distribution might reflect the frequent occurrence of viroid disease on crops caused by PSTVd-seed transmission.     

Occurrence and molecular variability of Potato spindle tuber viroid and Tomato apical stunt viroid in ornamental plants in Croatia

Viroids of the genus Pospiviroid are able to induce diseases in a wide range of host plants including important crop species. Although occasional disease outbreaks of Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) and closely related pospiviroids have been reported in potato and tomato, recent studies found an increase in number of latent infections in ornamental solanaceous species. In order to verify the presence of PSTVd and other pospiviroids in Croatia, a survey was conducted between 2009 and 2012. A total of 182 samples belonging to five ornamental species and two solanaceous crops were analyzed. Eight plants belonging to two different species (Solanum jasminodes and Lycianthes rantonnetii) were found infected by PSTVd and, in addition, one S. jasminoides plant infected by Tomato apical stunt viroid (TASVd). Viroid infection was confirmed by mechanical inoculation on tomato plants to observe symptom expression. Molecular characterization of the isolates was done and complete viroid sequences were submitted to the GenBank. This is the first evidence of the presence of PSTVd and TASVd and their variability in Croatia.     

Application of real‐time RT‐PCR for large‐scale testing of potato for Potato spindle tuber pospiviroid*

The real‐time RT‐PCR protocol of Boonham and coworkers performed extremely well in a recent ring test, comparing different methods for detection of Potato spindle tuber pospiviroid (PSTVd) in several laboratories. Since, in addition, real‐time PCR technology has proved suitable for high‐throughput testing, this method was chosen as the starting point for the development of a protocol for the large‐scale testing of potato. The initial experiments focused on the specificity of the primers and probes with regard to different isolates of PSTVd and other (pospi‐) viroids. Further experiments were performed with leaf material from both primarily and secondarily infected plants. The parameters studied were sampling position, growing‐on temperature and bulking rate. In addition, different grinding, nucleic‐acid extraction and disinfection methods were compared. To monitor false negatives and positives, different controls were included and tested in duplex and triplex formats. The final protocol was tested using a hundred samples from the Dutch potato‐monitoring programme. The results of this pilot experiment were promising. Future plans include the development of a protocol for direct tuber testing and inter‐laboratory ring testing of the protocols.     

An outbreak of Potato spindle tuber viroid in tomato is linked to imported seed

In 2011, an outbreak of the quarantine-regulated pathogen Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) occurred in a commercial glasshouse-grown tomato crop in Queensland, Australia. Phylogenetic studies showed that the genotype of this isolate grouped in a cluster of PSTVd genotypes from tomato and Physalis peruviana, and exhibited an interesting mutation (U₂₅₇→A) that has previously been linked to lethal symptom expression in tomato. Transmission studies showed that the viroid could be mechanically transmitted from crushed fruit sap, but not from undamaged fruits. A low rate of asymptomatic infection was determined for plants in the affected glasshouse, demonstrating the efficacy of using symptoms to detect PSTVd infections in tomato. No PSTVd infections were detected in solanaceous weeds located outside of the infected glasshouse, excluding them from playing a role in the viroid epidemiology. Monitoring and subsequent testing of new tomato crops grown in the facility demonstrated successful eradication of the pathogen. A trace-back analysis linked the outbreak of PSTVd to an infected imported tomato seed-lot, indicating that PSTVd is transmitted internationally through contaminated seed.     

Development of an EU protocol for the detection and diagnosis of Potato spindle tuber pospiviroid*

The work described here formed part of the EU SMT DIAGPRO project, to develop diagnostic protocols for 18 regulated pests. The Potato spindle tuber pospiviroid (PSTVd) protocol was developed primarily for testing in vitro‐ and glasshouse‐grown potato plants for the purposes of post‐entry quarantine and the production of pathogen‐tested nuclear stock. After a performance audit of methods used by 12 laboratories in Europe and America by ring testing, four methods were chosen for multilaboratory validation. For most laboratories, the detection limits were 10–20 mg of PSTVd‐infective tissue for R‐PAGE; 0.25–0.5 mg for DIG‐probe; 0.062 mg for RT‐PCR; and 0.0155 mg for TaqMan (this was the lowest weight of infective tissue tested). Some laboratories were able to extend the detection limit to 0.0155 mg for DIG‐probe and RT‐PCR. The DIG‐probe and R‐PAGE are recommended as primary detection methods, with confirmation of viroid presence by any of the four validated detection methods. Specific diagnosis requires the viroid to be sequenced. Other methods may be used for primary detection, providing that they preferably detect all PSTVd isolates and other Pospiviroids that have the potential to infect potato, and detect viroid in at least 1/10 of the tissue weight normally tested per plant.