Detection of Citrus psorosis virus in field trees by direct tissue blot immunoassay in comparison with ELISA, symptomatology, biological indexing and cross-protection tests

Serological detection of Citrus psorosis virus (CPsV) by direct tissue blot immunoassay (DTBIA) and by double (DAS) and triple (TAS) antibody sandwich ELISA, was compared in samples from various citrus varieties growing in the glasshouse and in the field. In young shoots and leaves, CPsV was readily detected by the three procedures, whereas DTBIA detection in old leaves was less consistent. DTBIA detection and ELISA readings in nine different citrus varieties were similar, suggesting that CPsV accumulates to equivalent levels in all of them. In infected field trees from Spain or Italy, CPsV was consistently detected by TAS ELISA, even in samples of old leaves in winter, whereas DTBIA detection in the same trees was reliable only when using young shoots. Detection of CPsV by DTBIA and by DAS and TAS ELISA in previously untested field trees correlated perfectly with psorosis diagnostics based on biological indexing, specifically with the capacity of those sources to cross-protect against challenge inoculation with psorosis B. Some trees without bark scaling were shown to be psorosis-infected by biological indexing and to contain CPsV by serological tests; other trees showing psorosis-like bark or leaf symptoms in the field were shown to be psorosis-free by biological indexing and also CPsV-free by serology. This is the first time that the presence of CPsV has been correlated with psorosis infection as diagnosed by biological indexing.     

Improved detection of citrus psorosis virus using polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies

Citrus psorosis is a serious and widespread disease associated with citrus psorosis virus (CPsV), a novel filamentous negative-stranded virus in the genus Ophiovirus . Laborious and costly indexing on test plants has been the only routine diagnostic method available, but recently an antiserum usable in double antibody sandwich (DAS) ELISA has been prepared. Here, major improvements to the DAS-ELISA protocol, a new purification method, and production of two monoclonal antibodies (mabs) to CPsV, an IgG and an IgM are reported. A highly sensitive triple antibody sandwich (TAS) ELISA making use of the mabs is described. In glasshouse citrus the homologous virus was still detectable at a tissue dilution of 1/6250 in DAS and at 1/31250 in TAS-ELISA. Both the DAS and IgG mab-TAS formats detected all CPsV isolates so far tested (from Argentina, Italy, Lebanon, Spain and the USA). A few isolates were not detected by the IgM mab.     

Occurrence of Citrus psorosis virus in Campania, southern Italy

Citrus psorosis virus (CPsV), genus Ophiovirus, is associated with a severe disease of citrus worldwide. Double antibody sandwich (DAS) ELISA using a polyclonal antiserum, and triple antibody sandwich (TAS) ELISAs, employing the IgG monoclonal antibody (mab) 13C5, and the IgM mab 2A3, were used to detect CPsV in orchards of different citrus varieties in Campania, southern Italy. TAS ELISA with 13C5 detected all the infections detected by DAS ELISA. Overall, 14% of trees younger than 15 years were positive, but only 1% of older trees, suggesting that infected propagating material has been increasingly used in recent years, in the absence of certification. Highest infection rates were in younger trees of sweet orange (22.8%) and clementine (18.6%). CPsV could easily be detected at all seasons of the year tested (June–January); these and earlier results indicate that TAS ELISA using 13C5 is a sensitive, broad-spectrum and reliable diagnostic method useful for routine tests and certification programmes. Of 44 field isolates responding strongly to DAS ELISA and 13C5-TAS ELISA, mab 2A3 gave similar results with 29 isolates, but gave low values with the others, thus providing a degree of differentiation among isolates. To confirm that the ELISA tests were indeed detecting CPsV, samples of 42 ELISA-positive plants were analysed by ISEM in a blind test, and in 38 of these, characteristic virus particles were clearly seen. Although CPsV was frequently and consistently detected in the area sampled, bark scaling symptoms were not seen: possible reasons for this are discussed.     

Association of citrus psorosis B symptoms with a sequence variant of the Citrus psorosis virus RNA 2

Citrus psorosis virus (CPsV), the type species of genus Ophiovirus, is the presumed causal agent of a bark scaling disease in citrus plants. CPsV virions are kinked filaments composed of three negative‐strand RNA molecules and a ～48‐kDa coat protein. The virus induces two different syndromes: psorosis A (PsA), characterized by limited bark scaling lesions in the trunk and main limbs, and a more aggressive form of the disease called psorosis B (PsB) with rampant bark lesions affecting even thin branches and chlorotic blotches in old leaves. In the greenhouse, the PsA and PsB syndromes can be induced by graft inoculating healthy citrus seedlings with non‐lesion or with lesion bark inoculum from PsA‐affected field trees. PsA‐ and PsB‐inducing CPsV sub‐isolates obtained by this procedure from the same tree showed identical single‐strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) profiles in homologous segments of the RNAs 1 and 3, whereas segments of the RNA 2 enabled discrimination between PsA‐ and PsB‐associated sequence variants. SSCP analysis of the RNA 2 population present in different tissues of psorosis‐infected plants showed that: (i) PsA‐inducing isolates contain PsB‐associated sequence variants at low frequency, (ii) the PsB‐associated sequence variant is predominant in blistered twigs and gummy pustules affecting old leaves, characteristic of PsB isolates, and (iii) the PsB‐associated sequence variant accumulates preferentially in bark lesions of the trunk and limbs. SSCP analysis of the RNA 2 population also enabled monitoring of interference between PsA‐ and PsB‐associated variants in plants co‐inoculated with both psorosis types.     

First report of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Citrus psorosis virus</Emphasis> in Japan

Citrus psorosis virus (CPsV) was detected from citrus trees for the first time in Japan. The diagnosis was confirmed by molecular, serological, and biological indexing. RT-PCR detected CPsV from two citrus trees among ca. 200 tested. Both trees were variety Shiranui of [Citrus unshiu Marc. × C. sinensis (L.) Osb.] × C. reticulata Blanco, and neither had the bark scaling symptom typical of CPsV. The CPsV isolate could be genetically related to those from Spain, Italy, Florida, and California.     

Elimination of Citrus psorosis virus by somatic embryogenesis from stigma and style cultures

Somatic embryogenesis was used to eliminate Citrus psorosis virus (CPsV) from three citrus species (common mandarin, sweet orange and Dweet tangor), all of which regenerated somatic embryos with different embryogenic potential from stigma and style explants. CPsV was detected by double antibody sandwich‐indirect‐enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (DASI-ELISA) in explants and embryogenic callus, but was not detected in any of the plants obtained from somatic embryos, even 24 months after regeneration. Loss of juvenile characters (disappearance of thorns) was observed in the first year of growth and was retained in plants propagated by grafting from thornless stems. Somatic embryogenesis appears to be a very promising technique for the production of healthy citrus stocks.     

Uncontrolled Citrus psorosis virus infection in Citrus sinensis transgenic plants expressing a viral 24K-derived hairpin that does not trigger RNA silencing

Citrus psorosis virus (CPsV) is the causal agent of psorosis disease of citrus. Pineapple sweet orange plants were transformed with a hairpin construct derived from the viral 24k gene (lines ihp24K). Contrary to expectations, these lines did not trigger efficient RNA silencing, and when infected with CPsV they showed a phenotype of exacerbated symptoms with a persistent and homogeneous infection without the recovery observed in non-transgenic plants. Ihp24K lines did not behave similarly when challenged with Citrus tristeza virus. All these results indicate that hypersusceptibility is likely related to the specific action of 24K-derived hairpin over CPsV multiplication.     

Effect of temperature on RNA silencing of a negative‐stranded RNA plant virus: Citrus psorosis virus

Citrus psorosis virus (CPsV), genus Ophiovirus, causes a bark scaling disease of citrus. CPsV virions are kinked filaments with three negative‐stranded RNA molecules (vRNA) and a 48 kDa coat protein. The effect of temperature on symptom expression, virus accumulation and RNA silencing was examined in sweet orange seedlings (Citrus sinensis) graft‐inoculated with three different CPsV isolates and grown in a glasshouse at 26/18°C or 32/26°C (day/night). Most plants kept in the cooler glasshouse showed a shock reaction in the first flush with shoot necrosis, and then moderate to intense chlorotic flecking and spotting in young leaves, whereas plants incubated at 32/26°C did not exhibit shoot necrosis, and young leaf symptoms were milder. Virus titre estimated by ELISA and by northern and dot blot hybridization paralleled symptom intensity, with significantly higher virus accumulation in plants incubated at 26/18°C. The amount of CPsV‐derived small RNAs (CPsV‐sRNAs) slightly increased at 32/26°C, with the ratio of CPsV‐sRNA/vRNA being higher at 32/26°C than at 26/18°C. These results suggest that (i) CPsV infection induces RNA silencing in citrus plants, (ii) symptom intensity is associated with virus accumulation, and (iii) temperature increase enhances the RNA silencing response of citrus plants and decreases virus accumulation.     

运用一步法RT-PCR检测柑橘鳞皮病毒及其在橘橙不同部位中的全年分布

2005年5月到2006年4月逐月采样,运用一步法RT-PCR检测Citrus psorosis virus(CPV)在Dweet橘橙苗木叶片和枝皮中的分布。保存在控温温室中的Dweet橘橙病株中老叶、老皮、嫩叶和嫩皮全年都可以检测出CPV;保存在网室中的Dweet橘橙病株中老叶、老皮全年均能检测到CPV,而夏梢的嫩叶、嫩皮不能稳定地检测出CPV,春、秋梢的嫩叶、嫩皮均可检测到CPV,表明一步法RT-PCR检测CPV最佳取样部位为老叶和老皮。     

Biological diversity of citrus ringspot isolates in Spain

Eight isolates of citrus ringspot were selected by symptoms induced in field trees and compared with a citrus psorosis isolate for symptom expression on several citrus species under temperature-controlled glasshouse conditions. Symptom expression in each host-isolate combination was quantified by a pathogenicity index (PI) that considered symptom intensity and the number of plants showing each symptom. A general pathogenicity index (GPI) was defined for each isolate as a weighted mean of the different PI. A wide range of symptoms could be observed depending on host-isolate combination and incubation temperature. On the basis of symptoms induced in the glasshouse, cross protecting reaction against psorosis B challenge inoculation, mechanical transmissibility to Chenopodium quinoa , and presence of a c. 48-kDa protein associated to fractions of a sucrose gradient infective on C. quinoa (Navas-Castillo et al, 1993), six of the ringspot isolates (RS-ALC, RS-SOR, RS-GR, RS-INV, RS-CV and RS-SR) could not be distinguished from the psorosis isolate used as control, whereas the other two isolates (RS-ALM and RS-BUR) were clearly different. Field symptoms induced by these two isolates also differed from those induced by psorosis or by the other ringspot isolates.     

Detection of citrus psorosis-ringspot virus using RT-PCR and DAS-ELISA

Psorosis, sometimes also associated with ringspot symptoms, is a widespread and damaging disease of citrus in many parts of the world including South America and the Mediterranean basin. We describe the application of RT-PCR and DAS-ELISA diagnostics to an isolate of citrus ringspot virus (CtRSV-4) and other virus isolates associated with this disease. Fragments of cDNA from bottom-component RNA of CtRSV-4 were cloned and sequenced, and PCR primers were designed, 5'ACAATAAGCAAGACAAC upstream, and 5'CCATGTCACTTCTATTC downstream. RT-PCR experiments using these primers allowed detection of CtRSV-4 in infected citrus leaves down to a tissue dilution of 1/12 800 representing 2 μg of tissue, and less sensitive detection of the related citrus psorosis-associated virus (CPsAV90-1-1) and four other psorosis isolates from Argentina and the USA. In addition, CtRSV-4 particles were partially purified from local lesions in Chenopodium quinoa, and the preparations used to raise a rabbit antiserum. The antiserum was absorbed with extracts of healthy C. quinoa leaves, and a DAS-ELISA kit was prepared and tested for detection of CtRSV-4, CPsAV90–1-1, and other psorosis isolates from Argentina, the USA, Italy and Spain. The ELISA detected CtRSV-4 down to a tissue dilution of 1/1600, and most other psorosis isolates down to dilutions of 1/200–1/800. Three of a total of 20 heterologous isolates were consistently negative. Comparison of the PCR and ELISA results suggests that both methods can be used for detection of a range of psorosis isolates, but that variation of the viruses in the field might cause problems for any one diagnostic test.     

从吐鲁番古葡萄树上检测到4种类病毒(AGVd、GYSVd-1、GYSVd-2、HSVd)

从约有150年树龄的新疆吐鲁番葡萄(品种无核白)叶子中抽提小分子RNA,经过RT-PCR、生物学检测及克隆测序分析,证明其中含有4种类病毒:AGVd、GYSVd-1、GYSVd-2和HSVd。通过二维电泳,正反向电泳及Northern印迹杂交,RT-PCR等分子生物学方法对接种的指示植物Suyo黄瓜中的子代类病毒进行了检测,结果仅仅检测到HSVd一种类病毒。对Suyo黄瓜中的HSVd子代类病毒进行克隆及序列分析,结果表明葡萄中亲代类病毒与黄瓜中的子代类病毒序列之间存在明显差异。     

Rapid in vitro microindexing of viroids in citrus

A new laboratory technique combining shoot-tip grafting in vitro and biological indexing on indicator plants was explored for the detection of citrus exocortis and related viroids. Τhree in vitro laboratory methods were used and compared with the classical biological method. With the classical in vivo method, diagnosis is based on the expression of symptoms on indicators 11–14 weeks after inoculation. In contrast, with the first in vitro method, microindexing in vitro of citron seedlings by graft inoculation, diagnosis was possible 12 days after inoculation; with the second method, microindexing in vitro of citron cuttings by graft inoculation, 20 days after inoculation; and with the third method, microindexing in vitro of citron cuttings by injection inoculation, 40 days after inoculation. Inoculated Etrog citron plantlets grown in vitro and tested by RT-PCR showed the same viroid content as the source plants. Of the three in vitro viroid indexing methods, microindexing on cuttings by grafting was easier and more reliable than microindexing either on seedlings or on cuttings by injection.     

Filamentous flexous particles and serologically related proteins of variable size associated with citrus psorosis and ringspot diseases

Filamentous flexous partic les of unusual morphology, previously associated with several ringspot isolates, were detected also in psorosis A and psorosis B isolates by serologically specific electron microscopy using an antiserum to citrus ringspot. Upon partial purification of six ringspot, six psorosis A, and three psorosis B isolates, a specific protein of 47 kDa was detected in most cases, but two isolates (one psorosis A and one ringspot) had a 46 and a 48 kDa-protein, respectively. These differences in molecular masses were observed when purification was done from different host species or from plants co-inoculated with two isolates differing by their protein size. The three types of protein were serologically related in Western blots. Our results indicate that a common virus with different strains may be involved in psorosis A, psorosis B, and ringspot diseases.     

Detection and characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Citrus tristeza virus</Emphasis> stem pitting isolates in Jamaica

An island wide survey for Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) in citrus orchards across Jamaica (13 regions) was conducted over 2 years. Trees (1, 885) showing virus-like symptoms as well as asymptomatic trees were randomly sampled for testing by ELISA and 55 samples from the 6 major citrus growing regions were graft inoculated on indicator plants. Most samples (74%) reacted to polyclonal antibodies against CTV in ELISA, while 20% were positive in tests using monoclonal antibodies specific to severe CTV strains. Samples collected from the 6 major citrus growing regions produced vein clearing and stem pitting symptoms on Mexican lime indicator plants (87%). In addition, stem pitting symptoms were induced on Duncan grapefruit, sweet orange, sour orange or sweet orange grafted on sour orange. Nucleotide sequencing of the coat protein gene sequences isolated from these samples indicated high identities (88 to 95.5%) among the Jamaican isolates and previously reported stem pitting strains from Central and North America and Eurasia (88 to 100%). The results suggest a shared ancestry with isolates from other geographical locations, rather than geographical speciation, and presumably separate CTV introductions into Jamaica.     

Non-radioactive molecular hybridization detection of carnation mottle virus in infected carnations and its comparison to serological and biological techniques

A non-radioactive molecular hybridization method was developed to detect carnation mottle virus (CarMV) in carnation plants. This method was compared to the standard ELISA test and biological assays. For crude plant extracts, the molecular hybridization technique proved to be at least 125 times more sensitive than double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA). The method was adapted to avoid the necessity to clarify the samples by centrifugation and to use pipettes to load them. By introducing this modification, the hybridization assay was found to be a suitable method for routine virus detection. The relative benefits of using this procedure for large-scale indexing are discussed.     

柑桔裂皮病类病毒分子生物学研究进展

本文就柑桔裂皮病类病毒(citrus exocortis viroid,CEVd)的分类地位,分子结构及其生物学鉴定、聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳分析和分子杂交、分子生物学检测等方法进行了综述。