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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #93236
Title: NATURAL INFECTION OF PETUNIA BY CHRYSANTHEMUM STUNT VIROID

Author
item VERHOEVEN, J - PLNT PROT SER NETHERLANDS
item ARTS, M - PLNT PROT SER NETHERLANDS
item Owens, Robert
item ROENHOSRT, J - PLNT PROT SER NETHERLANDS

Submitted to: European Journal of Plant Pathology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/22/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Viroids are the smallest known agents of infectious disease. They are small (246-375 nucleotides), highly structured, single-stranded RNA molecules that lack both the protein capsid characteristic of conventional plant viruses and detectable messenger RNA activity. Thus far, only plants are known to be susceptible to infection by viroids, but several viroid diseases are of considerable economic importance. Following World War II, chrysanthemum stunt disease was responsible for severe losses by U.S. chrysanthemum growers, and the disease has remained endemic in portions of Europe and the Far East. The studies reported in this manuscript describe the first isolation of chrysanthemum stunt viroid (CSVd) from commercially produced Petunia hybrida (i.e., petunia) plants. Quarantine regulations now require that only certain plant species moving in international commerce be tested for the presence of CSVd. In addition to university, government, and private sector researchers concerned with plant disease, our results will be of interest to APHIS regulatory officials responsible for reviewing/updating current plant quarantine requirements.

Technical Abstract: A viroid that behaved similarly to chrysanthemum stunt viroid (CSVd) during return-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis has been detected in petunia. Subsequent transmission studies as well as reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and sequence analysis showed that the viroid is indeed a strain of CSVd. As long as the viroid is absent from plants used for vegetative propagation, it appears not to pose a serious threat to petunia cultivation.