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Identification and characterization of known and novel viroid variants in the Greek national citrus germplasm collection: threats to the industry

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Abstract

Seventy four percent of the budwood tree sources samples from the Greek national citrus germplasm foundation collection were positive for one or more viroids. Citrus exocortis viroid (CEVd) and Hop stunt viroid (HSVd), the two potentially damaging viroids for the Greek citriculture, especially after transitioning to Citrus tristeza virus resistant/tolerant rootstocks and scions, were detected along with Citrus bark cracking viroid, Citrus bent leaf viroid (CBLVd), and Citrus dwarfing viroid (CDVd). All samples tested negative for Citrus viroid V (CVd-V), CVd-VI and CVd-I-LSS (CBLVd variant). An HSVd isolate related to the non-cachexia variant contained two critical cachexia-related nucleotide changes, while two more isolates were unique among the previously reported HSVds. Unusual CDVd isolates with altered RNA secondary structure were identified in trees additionally co-infected with CEVd and HSVd. Budwood sources that had previously undergone therapy tested negative for all targeted viroids, suggesting that budwood sources in Greece can be protected against graft-transmissible pathogens, even under severe inoculum pressure. Therapied and tested citrus propagative material requires a comprehensive program not available currently in Greece, involving regulators, scientists, and the private sector, for the establishment and successful operation of a national citrus germplasm collection.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Citrus Clonal Protection Program personnel for their excellent technical assistance. This project was co-funded by the European Union-European Social Fund and Hellenic National Resources-O.P. “EDUCATION” II (Program PYTHAGORAS II) and the California Citrus Research Board.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA

    J. Wang, T. L. Rucker & G. Vidalakis

  2. Department of Crop Science, Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Agricultural University of Athens, 118 55, Athens, Greece

    I. N. Boubourakas & P. E. Kyriakopoulou

  3. Department of Crop Science, Laboratory of Plant Breeding, Agricultural University of Athens, 118 55, Athens, Greece

    A. E. Voloudakis

  4. Poros Arboricultural Station (PAS), 18020, Poros, Troizinia, Greece

    T. Agorastou & G. Magripis

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  1. J. Wang
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Correspondence to G. Vidalakis.

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Wang, J., Boubourakas, I.N., Voloudakis, A.E. et al. Identification and characterization of known and novel viroid variants in the Greek national citrus germplasm collection: threats to the industry. Eur J Plant Pathol 137, 17–27 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-013-0231-6

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