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Viruses pose a major threat to global agriculture, leading to substantial economic losses, whereas effective control measures remain limited. Plant Growth-Promoting Microorganisms (PGPMs) are used as an environmentally friendly approach against bacterial and fungal diseases. Although accumulating evidence show their antiviral potential their use remains limited mainly due to their variable efficacy against distinct viruses. In a previous study, we reported the differential antiviral effect of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain MBI600 (Serifel ® , BASF) in tomato plants against tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV, Orthotospovirus tomatomaculae ) and potato virus Y (PVY, Potyvirus yituberosi ). In this study, we aimed to elucidate the molecular basis of the differential response recorded in the antiviral efficacy of MBI600 against genetically distinct virus species. To this end, the antiviral potential of MBI600 was examined against two more important viruses of tomato cultivation, tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV, Begomovirus coheni ), and cucumber mosaic virus (CMV, Cucumovirus CMV ). MBI600 exhibited strong antiviral activity against TYLCV but not against CMV. The transcriptomic analysis of plants treated with MBI600 in the absence and presence of TSWV, TYLCV and CMV, revealed systemic host responses associated with the effectiveness level of the PGPM’s antiviral ability. Our results provide a better understanding of the selective nature of PGPM-mediated antiviral resistance and support PGPMs usage as an effective strategy against viral diseases.

A one-step multiplex real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) based on TaqMan probes was developed for the simultaneous detection of Apple mosaic virus (ApMV), Apple stem pitting virus (ASPV) and Apple stem grooving virus (ASGV) in total RNA of pome trees extracted with a CTAB method. The sensitivity of the method was established using in vitro synthesized viral transcripts serially diluted in RNA from healthy, virus-tested (negative) pome trees. The three viruses were simultaneously detected up to a 10(-4) dilution of total RNA from a naturally triple-infected apple tree prepared in total RNA of healthy apple tissue. The newly developed RT-qPCR assay was at least one hundred times more sensitive than conventional single RT-PCRs. The assay was validated with 36 field samples for which nine triple and 11 double infections were detected. All viruses were detected simultaneously in composite samples at least up to the ratio of 1: 150 triple-infected to healthy pear tissue, suggesting the assay has the capacity to examine rapidly a large number of samples in pome tree certification programs and surveys for virus presence.

The disease “sharka”, caused by Potyvirus plumpoxi (plum pox virus), is the most harmful viral disease affecting stone fruits. The virus spreads over long distances through illegal and insufficiently controlled exchange of infected propagative plant material. Once established in an area, the virus spreads locally through vegetative propagation of infected plant material, and naturally through aphid-vectors. Previously considered a European problem, sharka has now been reported in 54 Prunus-growing countries in all continents except Oceania, although the disease has been eradicated from the United States of America. The economic cost of the disease in the 28 years from 1995 to 2023 is estimated to be €2.4 × 109, equivalent to approx. 0.17% of the stone fruit industry’s value. This includes more than over €2 × 109 in direct fruit losses, €1.4 million from international rejection of symptomatic fruit, and over €100 million in eradication and disease limitation costs. Indirect costs include €137 million, mainly associated with ELISA analyses, and approx. €130 million in costs related to research and science networks. Cumulative global losses from the sharka pandemic since the decade 1910/20 probably surpass €13 × 109. These outlays exclude indirect trade costs, economic losses, genetic erosion of traditional cultivars, and the costs of developing new cultivars tolerant or resistant to plum pox virus. The decline in these costs compared to the previously evaluated €10 billion from the 1970s to 2006 is analyzed. Four case studies (for Spain, Turkey, Chile, and Greece) illustrate different sharka scenarios and management strategies.

High-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies and bioinformatic analyses are of growing interest to be used as a routine diagnostic tool in the field of plant viruses. The reliability of HTS workflows from sample preparation to data analysis and results interpretation for plant virus detection and identification must be evaluated (verified and validated) to approve this tool for diagnostics. Many different extraction methods, library preparation protocols, and sequence and bioinformatic pipelines are available for virus sequence detection. To assess the performance of plant virology diagnostic laboratories in using the HTS of ribosomal RNA depleted total RNA (ribodepleted totRNA) as a diagnostic tool, we carried out an interlaboratory comparison study in which eight participants were required to use the same samples, (RNA) extraction kit, ribosomal RNA depletion kit, and commercial sequencing provider, but also their own bioinformatics pipeline, for analysis. The accuracy of virus detection ranged from 65% to 100%. The false-positive detection rate was very low and was related to the misinterpretation of results as well as to possible cross-contaminations in the lab or sequencing provider. The bioinformatic pipeline used by each laboratory influenced the correct detection of the viruses of this study. The main difficulty was the detection of a novel virus as its sequence was not available in a publicly accessible database at the time. The raw data were reanalysed using Virtool to assess its ability for virus detection. All virus sequences were detected using Virtool in the different pools. This study revealed that the ribodepletion target enrichment for sample preparation is a reliable approach for the detection of plant viruses with different genomes. A significant level of virology expertise is needed to correctly interpret the results. It is also important to improve and complete the reference data.

Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) has caused great concern in the greenhouse tomato industry after it was found causing a new disease in tomato in 1999. The objective of this paper is to investigate alternative hosts and compare important biological characteristics of the three PepMV strains occurring in Europe when tested under different environmental conditions. To this end we compared the infectivity and symptom development of three, well characterized isolates belonging to three different PepMV strains, EU-tom, Ch2 and US1, by inoculating them on tomato, possible alternative host plants in the family Solanaceae and selected test plants. The inoculation experiments were done in 10 countries from south to north in Europe. The importance of alternative hosts among the solanaceous crops and the usefulness of test plants in the biological characterization of PepMV isolates are discussed. Our data for the three strains tested at 10 different European locations with both international and local cultivars showed that eggplant is an alternative host of PepMV. Sweet pepper is not an important host of PepMV, but potato can be infected when the right isolate is matched with a specific cultivar. Nicotiana occidentalis 37B is a useful indicator plant for PepMV studies, since it reacts with a different symptomatology to each one of the PepMV strains.

The examination of the sanitary status of grapevine germplasm requires extensive analyses for the presence of at least five virus species. For this purpose, a simple sample preparation method involving the use of sandpaper for effective sample sap collection, was combined with scaled down reactions of published quantitative RT-PCR protocols and used for the detection of seven viruses, i.e. grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV), Arabis mosaic virus (ArMV), grapevine leafroll-associated virus-1, and -3 (GLRaV-1, and -3), grapevine fleck virus (GFkV), grapevine virus A (GVA), and grapevine virus B (GVB). The simplified procedure was validated on the examination of the sanitary status of two important grapevine germplasm collections in Greece: the national Greek grapevine collection planted in two vineyards of different age and a private collection of a company that carried out clonal selection activities, for a three-year period (2019–2021). A total of 767 vines representing 255 varieties/clones were assessed by conducting nearly 5,500 tests. The vines from varieties (96) belonging to the older vineyard in the national collection were found to be infected with GVA, GLRaV-3 and GFLV at high rates of 96.7%, 94% and 78%, respectively. In the younger vineyard of the national collection four grapevine varieties were found free of the seven viruses. Grapevine varieties or their clones (159) of the private collection were similarly found infected but with lower virus occurrence: GVA 57.4%, GLRaV-3 44.8% and GFLV 21.6%. Nevertheless, 21 varieties and 33 clones were negative for the viruses tested. Therefore, the modified protocol proved reliable, cost-effective and suitable for large scale virus testing. The results obtained highlighted the need to increase sanitary, clonal selection and certification activities in the country for the benefit of the grapevine industry.

Ehe disease \"sharka\", caused by Potyvirus plumpoxi (plum pox virus), is the most harmful viral disease affecting stone fruits. The virus spreads over long distances through illegal and insufficiently controlled exchange of infected propagative plant material. Once established in an area, the virus spreads locally through vegetative propagation of infected plant material, and naturally through aphid-vectors. Previously considered a European problem, sharka has now been reported in 54 Prunus-growing countries in all continents except Oceania, although the disease has been eradicated from the United States of America. The economic cost of the disease in the 28 years from 1995 to 2023 is estimated to be 2.4 x 109, equivalent to approx. 0.17% of the stone fruit industry's value. This includes more than over 2 x 109 in direct fruit losses, 1.4 million from international rejection of symptomatic fruit, and over 100 million in eradication and disease limitation costs. Indirect costs include 137 million, mainly associated with ELISA analyses, and approx. 130 million in costs related to research and science networks. Cumulative global losses from the sharka pandemic since the decade 1910/20 probably surpass 13 x 109. These outlays exclude indirect trade costs, economic losses, genetic erosion of traditional cultivars, and the costs of developing new cultivars tolerant or resistant to plum pox virus. The decline in these costs compared to the previously evaluated 10 billion from the 1970s to 2006 is analyzed. Four case studies (for Spain, Turkey, Chile, and Greece) illustrate different sharka scenarios and management strategies.

Purpose of review We systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed the literature on the relationship between early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) and Cluster C personality disorders (PDs). Our aim was to clarify which of the 18 EMSs exhibit the strongest associations and are most frequently endorsed in clinical and non-clinical samples with Cluster C PDs and traits. Recent findings After initially screening 2622 records, 12 studies were selected with 5310 participants. Meta-analyses of the raw correlation coefficients for each EMS-Cluster C PD link (3-8 studies per meta-analysis) indicated that the 18 EMSs were significantly related to all three Cluster C PDs with r’s ranging from .13 to .63. However, when considering endorsement rates among multiple regression studies that controlled for the EMSs intercorrelations and the effects of other PD traits and demographics, specific EMS constellations emerged for each Cluster C PD. Summary Overall, the findings of the current paper suggest that Cluster C PDs might be conceptualized on the basis of a hybrid EMS model, in which all EMSs contribute to global personality dysfunction whereas specific EMS patterns reflect unique personality disorder style expressions. Longitudinal research with appropriate methodology is needed to draw more definite conclusions on the EMSs-Cluster C PDs relationships.