Updating the Quarantine Status of Prunus Infecting Viruses in Australia

Abstract

One hundred Prunus trees, including almond (P. dulcis), apricot (P. armeniaca), nectarine (P. persica var. nucipersica), peach (P. persica), plum (P. domestica), purple leaf plum (P. cerasifera) and sweet cherry (P. avium), were selected from growing regions Australia-wide and tested for the presence of 34 viruses and three viroids using species-specific reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. In addition, the samples were tested using some virus family or genus-based RT-PCR tests. The following viruses were detected: Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (ACLSV) (13/100), Apple mosaic virus (ApMV) (1/100), Cherry green ring mottle virus (CGRMV) (4/100), Cherry necrotic rusty mottle virus (CNRMV) (2/100), Cherry virus A (CVA) (14/100), Little cherry virus 2 (LChV2) (3/100), Plum bark necrosis stem pitting associated virus (PBNSPaV) (4/100), Prune dwarf virus (PDV) (3/100), Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) (52/100), Hop stunt viroid (HSVd) (9/100) and Peach latent mosaic viroid (PLMVd) (6/100). The results showed that PNRSV is widespread in Prunus trees in Australia. Metagenomic high-throughput sequencing (HTS) and bioinformatics analysis were used to characterise the genomes of some viruses that were detected by RT-PCR tests and Apricot latent virus (ApLV), Apricot vein clearing associated virus (AVCaV), Asian Prunus Virus 2 (APV2) and Nectarine stem pitting-associated virus (NSPaV) were also detected. This is the first report of ApLV, APV2, CGRMV, CNRNV, LChV1, LChV2, NSPaV and PBNSPaV occurring in Australia. It is also the first report of ASGV infecting Prunus species in Australia, although it is known to infect other plant species including pome fruit and citrus.

Genetic diversity and recombination between turnip yellows virus strains in Australia

“…Total RNA was extracted from TuYV isolates (Table 1) using a Spectrum Plant Total RNA Kit (Merck, New Jersey, USA) as described by Filardo et al [24] or using a QIAGEN RNeasy Plant Mini Kit with a modified lysis buffer [44]. For TuYV isolates from Victoria, libraries were prepared using an NEBNext Ultra RNA Library Prep Kit for Illumina (NEB, Ipswich, USA), quantified using a 2200 TapeStation system (Agilent Technologies, California, USA) and sequenced using an Illumina MiSeq system as described by Kinoti et al [36]. For the other TuYV isolates, paired-end libraries (150 bp) were prepared and sequenced using an Illumina MiSeq or HiSeq 2500 system by the Australian Genome Research Facility (AGRF, Melbourne, Australia).…”

Molecular Identification of Prune Dwarf Virus (PDV) Infecting Sweet Cherry in Canada and Development of a PDV Full-Length Infectious cDNA Clone

“…Among them, Prune dwarf virus (PDV) is an important pathogen, known to infect all members of the Prunus genus, impacting both stone fruit, and ornamental crop production [ 3 ]. The virus is widespread in stone fruit growing regions globally and is known to transmit via seed and pollen and during plant propagation practices such as grafting [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]. PDV is a member of the Ilarvirus genus within the family Bromoviridae .…”

Identification of viruses infecting six plum cultivars in Korea by RNA-sequencing

“…Many viruses and viroids infecting stone fruits—including peach, plum, apricot, and cherry—are being identified ( Jo et al, 2018b ; Kinoti et al, 2020 ; Komorowska, Hasiów-Jaroszewska & Czajka, 2020 ). Of the stone fruit trees, plum trees could be the second-most important trees for providing fresh fruits during the summer season in Korea.…”