European Journal of Plant Pathology (2014) 140, 199-205

G. Gambino, B. Navarro, E.M. Torchetti, P. La Notte, A. Schneider, F. Mannini and F. Di Serio (2014)
Survey on viroids infecting grapevine in Italy: identification and characterization of Australian grapevine viroid and Grapevine yellow speckle viroid 2
European Journal of Plant Pathology 140 (2), 199-205
Abstract: Five viroid species have been reported from grapevine. Hop stunt viroid (HSVd) and Grapevine yellow speckle viroid 1 (GYSVd-1) are distributed worldwide, whereas Grapevine yellow speckle viroid 2 (GYSVd-2), Australian grapevine viroid (AGVd) and Citrus exocortis viroid (CEVd) are found only sporadically. However, the presence of AGVd and GYSVd-2 in several countries, including China, Turkey and Tunisia, suggests a wider dissemination, possibly also in Europe, where AGVd has never been found and GYSVd-2 has been occasionally identified in Italy. Taking advantage of a multiplex RT-PCR assay recently developed for detecting simultaneously these five viroids, vines growing in Italy in commercial vineyards and germplasm collections were surveyed. Besides confirming the widespread presence of HSVd and GYSVd-1 in the field, GYSVd-2 and/or AGVd were identified in two grapevine table cultivars (Sultanina Bianca and Red Globe) from germplasm collections. Tests extended to vines cultivated in southern Italy confirmed the presence of both viroids, which were further characterized. No major sequence divergences between the AGVd and GYSVd-2 variants from Italy and those previously described from other countries were observed. Phylogenetic analysis supported the close relationships among AGVd variants from Italy, Tunisia and Australia. To our knowledge this is the first report of AGVd in Europe and the first molecular characterization of GYSVd-2 isolates from a European country.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Francesco Di Serio

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
surveys/sampling/distribution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Hop stunt viroid	Grapevine (Vitis)	Italy
	Grapevine yellow speckle viroid 1	Grapevine (Vitis)	Italy
	Australian grapevine viroid	Grapevine (Vitis)	Italy
	Grapevine yellow speckle viroid 2	Grapevine (Vitis)	Italy