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The plum pox virus (PPV) and prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) cause serious disease problems in stone-fruit trees. In this work, the possibility of obtaining plant material free from these viruses through thermotherapy and meristem-tip culture from infected nectarine shoots (Prunus persica var. nectarina Max, cv. 'Arm King') was studied. In addition, the detection of these viruses in in vitro cultures and young acclimatized plantlets with double antibody sandwich-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA) and multiplex reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was studied. Meristem-tip explants (0.8-1.3 mm) derived from sprouted buds of winter wood and spring shoots from field grown plants had a 2-5% regeneration response. However, application of thermotherapy to potted nectarine trees (3 weeks at a maximum temperature of 35 degrees C) facilitated excision of longer meristem tips (1.3-2.0 mm) that resulted in a significantly higher regeneration response (38%) in woody plant medium (WPM) without plant growth regulators. Such explants formed multiple shoots with the addition of 8 microM benzylaminopurine and 0.8 microM indoleacetic acid. When they were tested for the presence of PPV and PNRSV, 86% and 81% were found to be virus-free as detected by DAS-ELISA and multiplex RT-PCR, respectively. Individual shoots excised from virus-free cultures readily rooted in vitro (half-strength WPM plus 2 microM indolebutyric acid) and grew to plantlets. The combination of an efficient protocol for virus elimination and the establishment of highly sensitive diagnostics resulted in the production of nectarine plants free from PPV and PNRSV.

Cuttings of Arbutus unedo (strawberry tree) and Taxus baccata (yew) were treated with 8.0 and 10.0 g l À1 , respectively, of KIBA, IBA, IAA, NAA and Paclobutrazol. No rooting occurred without growth regulator treatment. The effect of growth regulators on percentage of rooting followed the order KIBA > IBA > IAA = NAA = Paclobutrazol = 0% (for A. unedo) and KIBA > IBA > IAA > NAA > Paclobutrazol = 0% (for T. baccata). Genotypes of the above plant species had significant effects on the number and length of roots, percentage of rooting and peroxidase specific activity (PA) on KIBAtreated cuttings. High PA seems to be related with low percentage of rooting in the case of A. unedo cuttings while no similar results were noticed in the case of T. baccata. Electrophoretic analysis revealed the appearance of two to three anionic and one cationic peroxidase isoforms in A. unedo cuttings, while six to nine anionic and no cationic peroxidases isoforms appeared in the case of T. baccata genotypes. During adventitious rooting, the PA showed the three interdependent phases (induction, initiation, expression) in both K-IBA treated cuttings of A. unedo and T. baccata, but in a different time course.

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