Molecular characterization and variability analysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Apple scar skin viroid</Emphasis> in India

Apple scar skin viroid (ASSVd) infection is a major limitation to apple fruit quality and causes huge economic losses. In surveys of apple orchards in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, fruits with dappling symptoms were noticed. ASSVd was detected from these fruits and molecularly characterized. Ten clones from three isolates were sequenced, of which seven were new sequence variants of ASSVd. The clones had significant sequence variability (94–100%) with each other. Variability was more common in the pathogenic domain of the viroid genome. Four of the clones were 330 nucleotides (nt) long, and the other six had an additional nucleotide. Phylogenetic analysis showed close affinity of the present isolates with some Chinese and Korean isolates. The study reports seven new variants of ASSVd and also provides the first molecular evidence of viroid infection (ASSVd) in apple in India.     

苹果锈果类病毒(ASSVd)的种群及遗传变异分析

苹果锈果类病毒apple scar skin viroid(ASSVd)引起苹果锈果病,是限制我国苹果生产的重要因素之一。然而,目前对ASSVd全球种群的组成及遗传变异仍缺乏足够的了解。为此,本研究对GenBank中登录的212条基因组序列进行了比较、变异分析以及系统发育分析。确认ASSVd的种群符合准种模式,由165种序列相似但不相同的变体组成。以来自我国苹果的MW315909和MW302328为代表的两种变体的数量最多,是主流变体。依据参考序列(NC001340)分析碱基变异,发现碱基变异偏好于某种碱基,并且偏好于基因组上的一些特定位点。变异不仅发生在基因组二级结构的左末端区、致病区、中央区,也发生在可变区和右末端区。值得指出的是,基因组上有4个区域极少发生变异,为保守区。其中的两个保守区(末端保守区和中央保守区)是已知的,而在可变区与右末端区交界处的两个保守区是新发现的,它们对ASSVd的复制和移动可能具有重要作用。这些结果不仅有助于掌握ASSVd的发生及流行,而且为研发RT-PCR/qPCR检测技术提供了参考,为研究ASSVd与寄主的相互作用提供了线索。     

利用两种方法检测苹果锈果类病毒

以克隆ASSVd的部分序列,通过RT-PCR成功合成了地高辛标记的cDNA探针,提取苹果和梨树枝条的总RNA,用斑点杂交技术对其进行了检测试验,结果表明,探针具有很高的灵敏度和特异性。地高辛标记的cDNA探针不与阴性对照枝条RNA以及感染PBCVd、AFCVd、ADFVd枝条总RNA发生杂交,仅与感染ASSVd样品的总RNA杂交。     

烟台市富士苹果上苹果锈果类病毒分子变异分析

为明确苹果锈果类病毒(Apple scar skin viroid,ASSVd)在烟台市富士苹果上的变异情况,通过特异性引物对携带苹果锈果类病毒的富士嫩叶进行ASSVd全长扩增,利用生物学软件DNAMAN对所得变异序列进行分析并构建系统进化树。结果表明,从130个样品中筛选到36个阳性样品,36个阳性样品中共克隆获得52条329~333 nt的ASSVd变异序列,其中30个阳性样品含2条或2条以上的ASSVd序列。对所得变异序列进行序列比对发现,同一样品不同克隆间核苷酸序列相似性为94.0%~100.0%,所有变异序列核苷酸序列相似性为94.0%~99.7%,与Gen Bank中来自不同国家或地区的10条ASSVd分离物核苷酸序列相似性为88.3%~99.7%。将序列相似性低于97.0%的12条变异序列进行系统进化分析,结果显示除了333 nt变异序列ZS2-6与伊朗苹果分离物在同一分支外,其余11条变异序列位于同一分支。52条变异序列多序列比对发现,变异位点主要集中在TL区、P区和C区。研究表明烟台市富士苹果上ASSVd存在一定的分子变异。     

Molecular and biological characterization of a severe isolate of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tomato chlorotic dwarf viroid</Emphasis> containing a novel terminal right (T<Subscript>R</Subscript>) domain sequence

Tomato chlorotic dwarf viroid (TCDVd) manually inoculated to transgenic (cv.‘Desiree’) potato plants containing antimicrobial cationic peptides failed to develop symptoms in above ground plant parts, but infected tubers were symptomatic. Plants from the infected tubers (second generation plants) emerged as either severely stunted (bushy stunt isolate, BSI) or tall and symptomless. Molecular characterization of BSI isolates showed TCDVd sequence variants 95 to 98% identical to TCDVd sequences from the database, while a viroid variant identical to TCDVd type isolate (acc # AF162131) was cloned from symptomless plants. The TCDVd BSI variants had novel U165C, GU177-178AA, and UCAC181-184CUUU nucleotide substitutions in the terminal right (T_R) domain of the viroid molecule. The cloned viroid cDNAs of the BSI were infectious to experimental (cv. ‘Sheyenne’) tomato plants causing stunted plants with profuse auxiliary shoots. Visual evaluation of the susceptibility of the BSI to 18 potato and 21 tomato cultivars revealed severe symptoms in most cultivars of both species. The progeny variants accumulating in each potato and tomato cultivar exhibited the same novel T_R domain in most cultivars, with only a slight variation in a few. The severity of the stunting symptoms induced by TCDVd from BSI isolates in both potato and tomato cultivars has not been noted previously with other TCDVd isolates and, as such, it is proposed that this new isolate be recognized as a distinct genotype. Emergence of this type of sequence variant in commercial fields or commercial tomato greenhouses could potentially cause relevant losses in both crops.     

Mechanisms of resistance in Brassica carinata,B. napus and B. juncea to Pseudocercosporella capsellae

Studies were undertaken to compare susceptible and resistant host responses to Pseudocercosporella capsellae in cotyledons of Brassica carinata, B. juncea and B. napus in order to define the mechanisms of resistance in these three species. On both resistant and susceptible hosts, hyphal penetration was always through stomatal openings and without infection pegs or appressoria. On resistant B. carinata ATC94129P, up to 72% of spores disintegrated and, generally, germination (<22%) and germ tube lengths (<25 μm) were comparatively low. Resistant B. napus Hyola 42 had the lowest germination (8%) and susceptible B. carinata UWA#012 had the highest (51%). On resistant B. carinata ATC94129P, germ tube extension was impeded across 24–60 h post‐inoculation (hpi) and percentage stomatal penetration lower (4%) at 60 hpi compared with susceptible B. carinata UWA#012 (26%). Stomatal densities (stomata/14 757 μm²) on resistant B. juncea Dune (2·12) and B. napus Hyola 42 (1·62) were lower than for susceptible B. juncea Vardan (2·40) and B. napus Trilogy (2·03). Resistant B. carinata ATC94129P had greater stomatal density (1·89) than susceptible B. carinata UWA#012 (1·58). Overall, B. juncea had greater stomatal density (2·26) compared with B. napus (1·83) and B. carinata (1·74). In resistant B. carinata ATC94129P, P. capsellae induced 28% stomata to close, while in susceptible B. carinata UWA#012 no such closure was induced. Epicuticular wax crystalloids were present only on resistant B. carinata ATC94129P and probably also contribute towards resistance.     

苹果锈果类病毒在八棱海棠种子中的分布及氢氧化钠脱毒效果分析

为明确苹果锈果类病毒在八棱海棠果实和种子中的分布特征、种传率以及药剂脱除效果,以带毒母株上的八棱海棠果实和种子为试材,运用RT-PCR技术分析了八棱海棠果实不同部位锈果类病毒的带毒率、实生后代的带毒情况以及氢氧化钠脱除病毒的效果。结果表明,八棱海棠果皮、果肉、种子以及种胚均不同程度携带苹果锈果类病毒,其带毒率分别为96.0%、96.0%、52.0%和4.0%;该病毒可经种子传递给后代,种传率为12.1%;经2%氢氧化钠溶液浸种10、15、20 min,种子的病毒检出率均为0,但后代实生苗的带毒率分别为2.5%、1.3%和0。表明苹果锈果类病毒可侵染种子不同部位并经种子传递给后代,氢氧化钠浸种是脱除该病毒的有效方法。     

Long‐term survival of Acidovorax citrulli in citron melon (Citrullus lanatus var. citroides) seeds

Long‐term survival of Acidovorax citrulli in citron melon (Citrullus lanatus var. citroides) seeds was investigated. Citron melon seed lots infected with A. citrulli were generated in the field by inoculating either the pistils (stigma) or pericarps (ovary wall) of the female blossoms. Seventeen A. citrulli isolates from 14 different haplotypes belonging to two different groups (group I and II) were used for inoculation. After confirming that 100% of seed lots were infected, they were stored at 4°C and 50% RH for 7 years. After storage, the viability of A. citrulli cells from individual lots was determined by plating macerated seeds on semiselective medium as well as growing seeds for 14 days and scoring for bacterial fruit blotch symptoms. The type of A. citrulli isolate (group I or group II) used did not significantly influence bacterial survival. However, A. citrulli survival was significantly greater in seed lots generated via pistil inoculation (52·9 and 29·4%) than via pericarp inoculation (23·5 and 17·6%). Repetitive extragenic palindrome (rep)‐PCR on A. citrulli isolated from citron melon seed lots after storage displayed similar fingerprinting patterns to those of the reference strains originally used for blossom inoculation, indicating that cross‐contamination did not occur. The results indicate that A. citrulli may survive/overwinter in citron melon seeds for at least 7 years and bacterial survival in seed was influenced more by method of blossom inoculation than by the type of bacterial isolate.     

Biological and molecular variation of Cherry leaf roll virus isolates from Malus domestica,Ribes rubrum,Rubus idaeus,Rumex obtusifolius and Vaccinium darrowii

Cherry leaf roll virus (CLRV) isolates from Malus domestica, Ribes rubrum, Rubus idaeus, Rumex obtusifolius and Vaccinium darrowii were characterized based on nucleotide sequences of a 371 bp fragment of the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of their genomic RNAs, symptoms in the herbaceous hosts, Chenopodium amaranticolor, Chenopodium quinoa, Nicotiana benthamiana, Nicotiana occidentalis and Nicotiana tabacum, and seed transmission in N. occidentalis. The different isolates induced a range of localized and systemic disease symptoms, of varying severity, in the herbaceous hosts. The isolates from M. domestica, R. rubrum, R. obtusifolius and V. darrowii all showed greater than 80% seed transmission in N. occidentalis, but no seed transmission was observed for the R. idaeus isolate. Based on symptoms and seed transmission, the isolates appear to be biologically distinct strains of CLRV. Phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequences from the 3′ UTR, commonly used to detect CLRV, showed that four isolates from M. domestica, R. rubrum, R. idaeus and V. darrowii were almost identical but an isolate from R. obtusifolius exhibited a pairwise nucleotide difference of up to 5·4% when compared to these isolates. There was no obvious correlation between sequence differences and symptomatology.     

Effects of resistance of Eremocitrus glauca and Microcitrus australis to viroid infection: replication,accumulation and long‐distance movement of six citrus viroids

In studies to identify genotypes resistant to infection with citrus viroids, Eremocitrus glauca and Microcitrus australis were selected because their evolution in their habitat in Australia and New Guinea may have led to the selection of unusual traits. The movement and accumulation of Citrus exocortis viroid (CEVd), Hop stunt viroid, Citrus bent leaf viroid, Citrus dwarfing viroid, Citrus bark cracking viroid and Citrus viroid V (CVd‐V) in self‐rooted as well as in graft‐ propagated E. glauca and M. australis plants was assessed by northern hybridization, RT‐PCR and by topworking to the sensitive selection 861‐S1 of Etrog citron. In both plant species the inoculated viroids were undetectable unless these plants were grafted to a susceptible Citrus partner, the rough lemon rootstock and/or the topworked Etrog citron, which acted as viroid sources. The results obtained indicate that M. australis and in particular E. glauca are poor viroid hosts in which viroid replication/accumulation does not occur or is extremely inefficient. However, viroid downward and upward movement to grafted Citrus partners in which viroid replication and accumulation occurs efficiently was not impaired. Eremocitrus glauca and M. australis showed differences regarding their properties as viroid hosts, but for both species CEVd seemed to have the lowest affinity among the viroid species tested and CVd‐V the highest. Even though E. glauca and M. australis do not appear to be truly resistant to viroid infection, they are interesting genotypes for further characterization of the mechanisms involved in viroid infection.     

Virulence of Hymenoscyphus albidus and native and introduced Hymenoscyphus fraxineus on Fraxinus excelsior and Fraxinus pennsylvanica

Ash dieback is caused by Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, a cryptic species of the putatively harmless Hymenoscyphus albidus. Recently, H. fraxineus was found to be native to East Asia. However, the virulence of Asian H. fraxineus strains on Fraxinus excelsior and the virulence of European H. albidus on hosts other than F. excelsior and Fraxinus mandshurica have not yet been assessed. In a wound inoculation study, the virulence of four H. albidus and four European and Japanese H. fraxineus strains was assessed on F. excelsior and Fraxinus pennsylvanica in a climate chamber. Lesion lengths were measured after approximately three and a half months. No lesions were observed on the negative control or on trees inoculated with H. albidus. In contrast, inoculation with H. fraxineus induced typical symptoms of ash dieback on both tree species. Japanese H. fraxineus strains induced significantly longer lesions compared to European strains. Fraxinus excelsior was highly susceptible and developed lesions averaging lengths of 1·7 and 8·4 cm for European and Japanese strains, respectively. Fraxinus pennsylvanica was less susceptible and developed average lesion lengths of 1·6 and 4·8 cm for European and Japanese strains, respectively. Most strains were successfully reisolated from necrotic lesions or inocula, fulfilling Koch's postulates. The data show that additional introductions of H. fraxineus strains from the native range to Europe could pose a threat to the conservation of F. excelsior. In addition, introduction of H. fraxineus to North America could potentially have a negative effect on the indigenous F. pennsylvanica.     

A rapid one-step multiplex RT-PCR assay for the simultaneous detection of five citrus viroids in China

Citrus plants are natural hosts of five viroid species and large numbers of sequence variants. In this paper a simple and sensitive one step multiplex RT-PCR protocol with an internal control was utilised to simultaneously detect and differentiate five citrus viroids: Citrus exocortis viroid (CEVd), Citrus bent leaf viroid (CBLVd), Hop stunt viroid (HSVd), Citrus viroid-III (CVd-III) and Citrus viroid-IV (CVd-IV). In addition, a micro and rapid total nucleic acid extraction method was developed and the protocol applied to evaluate the occurrence and distribution of citrus viroids in China.     

Sexual reproduction increases the possibility that Phytophthora capsici will develop resistance to dimethomorph in China

A total of 1511 isolates of Phytophthora capsici were collected from farms with no history of exposure to the carboxylic acid amide (CAA) fungicides in 32 provinces in China during 2006 to 2013. All 1511 isolates were assayed for mating type and 403 were assayed for sensitivity to dimethomorph (DMM) and metalaxyl. The DMM EC₅₀ values ranged from 0·126 to 0·339 μg mL^?1. Both A1 and A2 mating types were detected on the same farms in four provinces and with a 1:1 ratio. Most isolates were sensitive to metalaxyl but a few exhibited intermediate resistance or resistance to metalaxyl. The segregation of DMM resistance and sensitivity among 337 progeny obtained from hybridization or self‐crossing in vitro indicated that the resistance of P. capsici to DMM is controlled by two dominant genes. Eighteen progeny that were derived from hybridization differed in DMM sensitivity and in fitness. Some progeny were as fit as parental isolates. Given the distribution of mating types and therefore the potential for sexual reproduction, the control of resistance by two dominant genes, and the fitness of hybrid progeny, the risk of P. capsici populations developing DMM resistance in China is substantial.     

侵染小苹果的苹果锈果类病毒的检测和全序列分析

小苹果是抗寒海棠类与大苹果的杂交后代,因耐寒能力强,口感好,被广泛用于嫁接与育种材料,是我国寒凉苹果产区宝贵的种质资源。苹果锈果类病毒(Apple scar skin viroid,ASSVd)侵染苹果后引起果实表面产生锈状斑、花脸、畸形等症状,严重降低果实品质和市场价值。2013年在调查苹果病毒病时发现北京市延庆县种植的小苹果表现出典型畸形症状,应用RT-PCR方法对其进行检测后经测序和序列分析表明,小苹果被苹果锈果类病毒侵染。克隆此分离物(ASSVd-YQ)全基因组序列,分析后得到其基因组全长为329个核苷酸,系统发育分析表明该分离物与来自不同国家和地区的ASSVd分离物间的进化关系极近。二级结构预测表明,该分离物的中央保守区与末端保守区与ASSVd参考序列相同。这是对侵染小苹果的ASSVd的首次检测和鉴定。     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Tomato chlorotic dwarf viroid</Emphasis> in the ornamental plant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vinca minor</Emphasis> and its transmission through tomato seed

Two novel aspects of Tomato chlorotic dwarf viroid (TCDVd) are reported, namely that TCDVd was detected in symptomless plants of Vinca minor, a trailing ground cover surviving at subzero temperatures (−12°C); and that TCDVd was seed-borne in tomato and detected in high percentages in tomato seeds and seedlings. Soaking seeds in a low concentration of sodium hypochlorite did not eliminate the viroid. The sequence analysis showed that the TCDVd isolate consists of 360 nucleotides and has sequence identity between 96% to 99% with isolates of TCDVd from other hosts.     

Genetic analysis of the population structure of the rice false smut fungus,Villosiclava virens,in China using microsatellite markers mined from a genome assembly

Studies on population genetics of Villosiclava virens are limited because of the lack of polymorphic markers. Based on a draft genome sequence of isolate HWD‐2 produced in this study, 20 of 403 potential simple sequence repeats (SSR) loci showed polymorphisms in preliminary screening using eight diverse V. virens isolates. Among polymorphic loci, most of them with tetra‐ to hexanucleotide unit motifs showed higher levels of polymorphism than loci with smaller motifs. After testing with 20 polymorphic SSR markers, the 87 isolates of V. virens from eight populations in China showed a high level of genetic diversity, with each as a unique haplotype. This differs from some previous findings showing little to no genetic variation based on random amplified polymorphic DNA and amplified fragment length polymorphism analyses. Among eight populations from major rice production areas of China, the population from Guangxi province in south China showed the highest levels of polymorphism, which led to the speculation that it might be closer to the centre of origin of this pathogen. The northern, central and eastern populations (Jilin, Liaoning, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi and Zhejiang), when considered together as a group, showed significant molecular variation compared to the southern populations (Fujian and Guangxi) (Φ_PT = 0·043, P = 0·037). A significant relationship (Mantel test, P = 0·027) but with low correlation (R² = 0·23) was also found between geographic distance and genetic distance. The 20 polymorphic SSR primer pairs designed in this study provide a tool for further research on the population diversity of this emerging fungal pathogen of rice.     

The role of weeds in the epidemiology of pospiviroids

Many weeds that are closely associated with horticultural activities are known as natural reservoirs of plant viruses. However, whether these weeds can also serve as hosts of pospiviroids is not well known. Pospiviroids are naked, non‐coding RNA pathogens that cause severe economic damage in many solanaceous crops. In this study, we examined the overall risk of pospiviroid spreading from weeds to economically important crops, by combining the results from previous inoculation studies with new results coming from a survey, a contact experiment and an inoculation experiment. A survey of commercial ornamental glasshouses revealed that ornamental plants mainly belonging to the Solanaceae harbour pospiviroids, in contrast to weed species sampled in the same places. No new weed hosts could be identified after testing weeds that grew in contact with Tomato apical stunt viroid (TASVd)‐infected plants of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and jasmine nightshade (Solanum jasminoides) in an experimental glasshouse. Finally, in mechanical inoculation experiments with TASVd, none of the six tested weed species were determined to be a host at 6 weeks after inoculation. Commonly occurring weed species therefore do not appear to play a significant role as reservoir hosts for pospiviroids. This does not rule out other potential weed hosts that have not yet been tested. Inoculation studies should include rigorous experimental protocols with a sufficient number of replicated as well as adequate positive controls. The information gained through this study may prove useful in future risk assessments for the pospiviroid group.     

Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Citrus viroid VI</Emphasis> variants from citrus in China

Citrus viroid VI (CVd-VI) is a viroid originally found from citrus and persimmon in Japan. We report here the identification and molecular characterization of CVd-VI from four growth regions of China. A total of 90 cDNA clones from nine citrus cultivars were sequenced. The sequence homologies of the Chinese CVd-VI and the reference sequence (NC_004359) vary from 94.2% to 97%. The sequence homologies among the Chinese isolates were up to 95.2%. Phylogenetic analysis of the 23 CVd-VI variants from China and Japan showed that they were grouped into two clades, one with 20 citrus variants and another with three persimmon variants, regardless of the geographic origins. Therefore, as with Hop stunt viroid, CVd-VI could also be divided into two types, citrus and persimmon types. Sequence alignment showed that most nucleotide changes between the two clades occurred in the P, V and T_L domains, and analysis indicated that these mutations influenced the predicted secondary structures under minimum energy.     

Phytophthora infestans populations in central,eastern and southern African countries consist of two major clonal lineages

Limited knowledge is available on Phytophthora infestans populations in Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA). Therefore, and in response to recent severe late blight epidemics, P. infestans isolates from potato, tomato and Petunia × hybrida from eight SSA countries were characterized. Isolates were characterized with ‘old’ markers, including mating type (176 isolates), mitochondrial DNA haplotype (mtDNA) (281 isolates), glucose‐6‐phosphate isomerase (Gpi) (70 isolates), restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis with probe RG‐57 (49 isolates), and by metalaxyl sensitivity (64 isolates). Most isolates belonged to the US‐1 genotype or its variants (US‐1.10 and US‐1.11). The exceptions were genotype KE‐1 isolates (A1 mating type, mtDNA haplotype Ia, Gpi 90/100 and unique RG‐57 genotype), identified in two fields in Kenya, which are related to genotypes previously identified in Rwanda (RW‐1 and RW‐2), Ecuador and Europe. Metalaxyl‐resistant P. infestans isolates from potato were present in all the countries except Malawi, whereas all the isolates from tomato were sensitive. Genotyping of 176 isolates with seven simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, including locus D13 that was difficult to score, revealed 79 multilocus genotypes (MLGs) in SSA. When this locus was excluded, 35 MLGs were identified. Genetic differentiation estimates between regional populations from SAA were significant when locus D13 was either excluded (P = 0·05) or included (P = 0·007), but population differentiation was only low to moderate (F_ST = 0·044 and 0·053, respectively).