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Emerging Fruit and Vegetable Viruses 2023

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A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Viruses of Plants, Fungi and Protozoa".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 18877

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Dr. Kai-Shu Ling

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Guest Editor

USDA-Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Vegetable Laboratory, Charleston, SC, USA
Interests: virus; viroid; detection; disinfection; resistance; plant pathology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Elizabeth Jeannette Cieniewicz

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Guest Editor

Plant and Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
Interests: virus; molecular detection; high-throughput sequencing; virus ecology; host resistance; marker-assisted selection; fruits
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the threat of climate change, increasing seed trade activities, and advancement in high-throughput sequencing for virus detection in the recent decade, we have experienced an exponential increase in the number of new and emerging viruses identified on fruit and vegetable crops. Many plant viruses are transmitted by insect vectors, which are expanding in range and distribution. With the expansion of protected and controlled environment systems for fruit and vegetable production, seed-borne and mechanically transmitted viruses can spread quickly. High-throughput sequencing has allowed scientists to identify an unprecedented number of novel and emerging viruses, followed by the biological characterization of novel viruses. Finally, management strategies, including the use of disinfectants, breeding for disease resistance and biotechnology (e.g. RNA interference and CRISPR gene editing), are also widely used. In this Special Issue, we aim to capture the recent advancements in disease diagnosis, virus detection, epidemiology, and the management of new and emerging viruses and viroids that affect fruit and vegetable crops.

Dr. Kai-Shu Ling
Dr. Elizabeth Jeannette Cieniewicz
Guest Editors

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Keywords

virus
molecular detection
high-throughput sequencing
host resistance
marker-assisted selection
RNAi
CRISPR gene editing
fruits
vegetables

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 4740 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genotype Sequencing and Phylogenetic Analysis Revealed the Origins of Citrus Yellow Vein Clearing Virus California Isolates

by Yong-Duo Sun and Raymond Yokomi

Viruses 2024, 16(2), 188; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16020188 - 26 Jan 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1649 | Correction

Abstract

The Citrus yellow vein clearing virus (CYVCV) causes a viral disease that has been reported in some citrus-growing regions in countries in Eurasia including Pakistan, India, Türkiye, Iran, China, and South Korea. Recently, CYVCV was detected in a localized urban area in a town in the middle of California’s citrus-growing region and marks the first occurrence of the virus in North America. CYVCV has been reported to be spread by aphid and whitefly vectors and is graft and mechanically transmitted. Hence, it is an invasive pathogen that presents a significant threat to the California citrus industry, especially lemons, which are highly symptomatic to CYVCV. To elucidate the origin of the CYVCV California strain, we used long-read sequencing technology and obtained the complete genomes of three California CYVCV isolates, CA1, CA2, and CA3. The sequences of these isolates exhibited intergenomic similarities ranging from 95.4% to 97.4% to 54 publicly available CYVCV genome sequences, which indicated a relatively low level of heterogeneity. However, CYVCV CA isolates formed a distinct clade from the other isolates when aligned against other CYVCV genomes and coat protein gene sequences as shown by the neighbor network analysis. Based on the rooted Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic trees, CYVCV CA isolates shared the most recent common ancestor with isolates from India/South Asia. Bayesian evolutionary inferences resulted in a spatiotemporal reconstruction, suggesting that the CYVCV CA lineage diverged from the Indian lineage possibly around 1995. This analysis placed the origin of all CYVCV to around 1990, with South Asia and/or Middle East as the most plausible geographic source, which matches to the first discovery of CYVCV in Pakistan in 1988. Moreover, the spatiotemporal phylogenetic analysis indicated an additional virus diffusion pathway: one from South Asia to China and South Korea. Collectively, our phylogenetic inferences offer insights into the probable dynamics of global CYVCV dissemination, emphasizing the need for citrus industries and regulatory agencies to closely monitor citrus commodities crossing state and international borders. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Fruit and Vegetable Viruses 2023)

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11 pages, 549 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Viruses of Apple Are Seedborne but Likely Not Vertically Transmitted

by Anna Wunsch, Bailey Hoff, Mario Miranda Sazo, Janet van Zoeren, Kurt H. Lamour, Oscar P. Hurtado-Gonzales and Marc Fuchs

Viruses 2024, 16(1), 95; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16010095 - 7 Jan 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1808

Abstract

Many viruses occur in apple (Malus domestica (Borkh.)), but no information is available on their seed transmissibility. Here, we report that six viruses infecting apple trees, namely, apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (ACLSV), apple green crinkle-associated virus (AGCaV), apple rubbery wood virus 2 (ARWV2), apple stem grooving virus (ASGV), apple stem pitting virus (ASPV), and citrus concave gum-associated virus (CCGaV) occur in seeds extracted from apple fruits produced by infected maternal trees. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) assays revealed the presence of these six viruses in untreated apple seeds with incidence rates ranging from 20% to 96%. Furthermore, ASPV was detected by RT-PCR in the flesh and peel of fruits produced by infected maternal trees, as well as from seeds extracted from apple fruits sold for fresh consumption. Finally, a large-scale seedling grow-out experiment failed to detect ACLSV, ASGV, or ASPV in over 1000 progeny derived from sodium hypochlorite surface sterilized seeds extracted from fruits produced by infected maternal trees, suggesting no detectable transmission via embryonic tissue. This is the first report on the seedborne nature of apple-infecting viruses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Fruit and Vegetable Viruses 2023)

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20 pages, 3942 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Accelerated Long-Fragment Circular PCR for Genetic Manipulation of Plant Viruses in Unveiling Functional Genomics

by A. Abdul Kader Jailani, Anirudha Chattopadhyay, Pradeep Kumar, Oinam Washington Singh, Sunil Kumar Mukherjee, Anirban Roy, Neeti Sanan-Mishra and Bikash Mandal

Viruses 2023, 15(12), 2332; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15122332 - 28 Nov 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1501

Abstract

Molecular cloning, a crucial prerequisite for engineering plasmid constructs intended for functional genomic studies, relies on successful restriction and ligation processes. However, the lack of unique restriction sites often hinders construct preparation, necessitating multiple modifications. Moreover, achieving the successful ligation of large plasmid constructs is frequently challenging. To address these limitations, we present a novel PCR strategy in this study, termed ‘long-fragment circular-efficient PCR’ (LC-PCR). This technique involves one or two rounds of PCR with an additional third-long primer that complements both ends of the newly synthesized strand of a plasmid construct. This results in self-circularization with a nick-gap in each newly formed strand. The LC-PCR technique was successfully employed to insert a partial sequence (210 nucleotides) of the phytoene desaturase gene from Nicotiana benthamiana and a full capsid protein gene (770 nucleotides) of a begomovirus (tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus) into a 16.4 kb infectious construct of a tobamovirus, cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV), cloned in pCambia. This was done to develop the virus-induced gene silencing vector (VIGS) and an expression vector for a foreign protein in plants, respectively. Furthermore, the LC-PCR could be applied for the deletion of a large region (replicase enzyme) and the substitution of a single amino acid in the CGMMV genome. Various in planta assays of these constructs validate their biological functionality, highlighting the utility of the LC-PCR technique in deciphering plant-virus functional genomics. The LC-PCR is not only suitable for modifying plant viral genomes but also applicable to a wide range of plant, animal, and human gene engineering under in-vitro conditions. Additionally, the LC-PCR technique provides an alternative to expensive kits, enabling quick introduction of modifications in any part of the nucleotide within a couple of days. Thus, the LC-PCR proves to be a suitable ‘all in one’ technique for modifying large plasmid constructs through site-directed gene insertion, deletion, and mutation, eliminating the need for restriction and ligation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Fruit and Vegetable Viruses 2023)

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13 pages, 1726 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Co-Infection of Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus and Pepino Mosaic Virus in Grocery Tomatoes in South Florida: Prevalence and Genomic Diversity

by Salih Yilmaz and Ozgur Batuman

Viruses 2023, 15(12), 2305; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15122305 - 24 Nov 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2418

Abstract

Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is an economically important seed and mechanically transmitted pathogen of significant importance to tomato production around the globe. Synergistic interaction with pepino mosaic virus (PepMV), another seed and mechanically transmitted virus, and long-distance dissemination of these two viruses via contaminated tomato fruits through global marketing were previously suggested. In 2019, we detected both viruses in several grocery store-purchased tomatoes in South Florida, USA. In this study, to identify potential sources of inoculum, co-infection status, prevalence, and genomic diversity of these viruses, we surveyed symptomatic and asymptomatic imported tomatoes sold in ten different groceries in four cities in South Florida. According to the product labels, all collected tomatoes originated from Canada, Mexico, or repacking houses in the United States. With high prevalence levels, 86.5% of the collected samples were infected with ToBRFV, 90% with PepMV alone, and 73% were mixed-infected. The phylogenetic study showed no significant correlations between ToBRFV genomic diversity and the tomato label origin. Phylogenetic analysis of PepMV isolates revealed the prevalence of the PepMV strains, Chilean (CH2) and recombinant (US2). The results of this study highlight the continual presence of PepMV and ToBRFV in imported tomatoes in Florida grocery stores. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Fruit and Vegetable Viruses 2023)

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14 pages, 277 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus: Survival and Disinfection Efficacy on Common Glasshouse Surfaces

by Anna Skelton, Leanne Frew, Richard Ward, Rachel Hodgson, Stephen Forde, Sam McDonough, Gemma Webster, Kiera Chisnall, Mary Mynett, Adam Buxton-Kirk, Aimee R. Fowkes, Rebecca Weekes and Adrian Fox

Viruses 2023, 15(10), 2076; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15102076 - 11 Oct 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3068

Abstract

Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is a contact-transmitted tobamovirus affecting many tomato growing regions of the world. This study investigated the effects of different glasshouse surfaces on the survival of the virus; the efficacy of different disinfectants; and heat treatment against ToBRFV (surfaces included steel, aluminium, hard plastic, polythene, glass and concrete). A bioassay followed by ELISA was used to check virus viability. ToBRFV survived for at least 7 days on all surfaces tested and on some for at least 6 months. The virus survived for over two hours on hands and gloves. Hand washing was shown to be unreliable for the removal of the virus. Glutaraldehyde and quaternary ammonium compound disinfectants were effective at one hour on all surfaces. Some other disinfectants were effective at one hour of contact time, on all surfaces except concrete. Sodium hypochlorite was partially effective against ToBRFV, even on concrete. A 5 min soak of plastic trays in water at 90 °C was effective at denaturing ToBRFV; however, 5 min at 70 °C was not. Heating infected sap showed the thermal inactivation point to be 90 °C, confirming the hot water treatment results and showing that deactivation was due to the heat treatment and not a washing effect of the water. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Fruit and Vegetable Viruses 2023)

16 pages, 3182 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Identification of Viral Pathogens in a Physostegia virginiana Plant Using High-Throughput RNA Sequencing

by Jinxi Dong, Yuanling Chen, Yi Xie, Mengji Cao, Shuai Fu and Jianxiang Wu

Viruses 2023, 15(9), 1972; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15091972 - 21 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1639

Abstract

Physostegia virginiana is an important ornamental and cut-flower plant in China. Its commonly used method of clonal propagation leads to virus accumulation in this plant. However, which viruses can infect the Physostegia virginiana plant remains to be illuminated. In this work, five viral pathogens in a Physostegia virginiana plant with virus-like symptoms of yellow, shriveled, and curled leaves were identified using RNA-seq, bioinformatics, and molecular biological techniques. These techniques allowed us to identify five viruses comprising one known alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) and four novel viruses. The novel viruses include a virus belonging to the genus Fabavirus, temporarily named Physostegia virginiana crinkle-associated virus 1 (PVCaV1); two viruses belonging to the genus Caulimovirus, temporarily named Physostegia virginiana caulimovirus 1 and 2 (PVCV1 and PVCV2); and a virus belonging to the genus Fijivirus, temporarily named Physostegia virginiana fijivirus (PVFV). The genome sequences of PVCaV1, PVCV1, and PVCV2, and the partial genome sequence of PVFV were identified. Genome organizations and genetic evolutionary relationships of all four novel viruses were analyzed. PVCaV1 has a relatively close evolutionary relationship with five analyzed fabiviruses. PVCV1 and PVCV2 have separately a closest evolutionary relationship with lamium leaf distortion-associated virus (LLDAV) and figwort mosaic virus (FMV), and PVFV has a close evolutionary relationship with the five analyzed fijiviruses. Additionally, PVCaV1 can infect Nicotiana benthamiana plants via friction inoculation. The findings enrich our understanding of Physostegia virginiana viruses and contribute to the prevention and control of Physostegia virginiana viral diseases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Fruit and Vegetable Viruses 2023)

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12 pages, 1571 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Grapevine Endophyte Endornavirus and Two New Endornaviruses Found Associated with Grapevines (Vitis vinifera L.) in Idaho, USA

by Jennifer Dahan, Gardenia E. Orellana, Jungmin Lee and Alexander V. Karasev

Viruses 2023, 15(6), 1347; https://doi.org/10.3390/v15061347 - 10 Jun 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1925

Abstract

Five virus genomes, ranging between 12.0 and 12.3 kb in length and identified as endornaviruses, were discovered through a high-throughput sequencing (HTS) analysis of the total RNA samples extracted from two wine grape cultivars collected in the State of Idaho. One was found in a declining Chardonnay vine and was determined to be a local isolate of grapevine endophyte endornavirus (GEEV), and four others represented two novel endornaviruses named grapevine endornavirus 1 (GEV1) and grapevine endornavirus 2 (GEV2). All three virus genomes span a large, single open reading frame encoding polyproteins with easily identifiable helicase (HEL) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) domains, while the GEV2 polyprotein also contains a glycosyltransferase domain. The GEV1 genome found in an asymptomatic Cabernet franc vine was related to, but distinct from, GEEV: the 5′-proximal, 4.7 kb segment of the GEV1 genome had a 72% identical nucleotide sequence to that of GEEV, while the rest of the genome displayed no significant similarity to the GEEV nucleotide sequence. Nevertheless, the amino acid sequence of the RdRP domain of GEV1 exhibited the closest affinity to the RdRP of GEEV. GEV2 was found in declining Chardonnay and asymptomatic Cabernet franc vines as three genetic variants exhibiting a 91.9–99.8% nucleotide sequence identity among each other; its RdRP had the closest affinity to the Shahe endorna-like virus 1 found in termites. In phylogenetic analyses, the RdRP and HEL domains of the GEV1 and GEV2 polyproteins were placed in two separate clades inside the large lineage of alphaendornaviruses, showing an affinity to GEEV and Phaseolus vulgaris endornavirus 1, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Fruit and Vegetable Viruses 2023)

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Review

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30 pages, 4543 KiB

Open AccessReview

Viral Threats to Fruit and Vegetable Crops in the Caribbean

by Paula Tennant, Sephra Rampersad, Angela Alleyne, Lloyd Johnson, Deiondra Tai, Icolyn Amarakoon, Marcia Roye, Patrice Pitter, Peta-Gaye Chang and Lisa Myers Morgan

Viruses 2024, 16(4), 603; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16040603 - 13 Apr 2024

Viewed by 2023

Abstract

Viruses pose major global challenges to crop production as infections reduce the yield and quality of harvested products, hinder germplasm exchange, increase financial inputs, and threaten food security. Small island or archipelago habitat conditions such as those in the Caribbean are particularly susceptible as the region is characterized by high rainfall and uniform, warm temperatures throughout the year. Moreover, Caribbean islands are continuously exposed to disease risks because of their location at the intersection of transcontinental trade between North and South America and their role as central hubs for regional and global agricultural commodity trade. This review provides a summary of virus disease epidemics that originated in the Caribbean and those that were introduced and spread throughout the islands. Epidemic-associated factors that impact disease development are also discussed. Understanding virus disease epidemiology, adoption of new diagnostic technologies, implementation of biosafety protocols, and widespread acceptance of biotechnology solutions to counter the effects of cultivar susceptibility remain important challenges to the region. Effective integrated disease management requires a comprehensive approach that should include upgraded phytosanitary measures and continuous surveillance with rapid and appropriate responses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Fruit and Vegetable Viruses 2023)

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8 pages, 1615 KiB

Open AccessBrief Report

The Discovery of a Citrus Yellow Vein Clearing Virus Hacienda Heights Isolate Diversifies the Geological Origins of the Virus in California, United States

by Yong-Duo Sun and Raymond Yokomi

Viruses 2024, 16(9), 1479; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16091479 - 18 Sep 2024

Viewed by 801

Abstract

The citrus yellow vein clearing virus (CYVCV) is an emerging threat to the U.S. citrus industry. Reports from China shows it cause significant reductions in fruit yield and growth, particularly in lemon trees. In 2022, CYVCV was detected in a wide range of citrus cultivars in localized urban properties in Tulare, California. In 2024, a CYVCV-infected lemon tree was detected in Hacienda Heights in Los Angeles County, California, geographically separated from the Tulare foci. Through long-read sequencing technology, the whole-genome sequence of a CYVCV isolate from Hacienda Heights (designated as CYVCV-CA-HH1, Accession number PP840891.1) was obtained. Sequence alignments and neighbornet analysis strongly suggested that the CYVCV-CA-HH1 isolate has a different origin than the Tulare CYVCV (CYVCV CA-TL) isolates. The CYVCV CA-TL isolates were grouped with those from South Asia (India and Pakistan) and the Middle East (Türkiye), while the CYVCV-CA-HH1 isolate was grouped with isolates from East Asia (China and South Korea). Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis further supports this finding, showing that the CYVCV-CA-HH1 isolate shares the most recent common ancestor with a South Korean lineage, which derives from Chinese isolates. Together, our data suggest a diverse geological origin of CYVCV isolates in California. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Fruit and Vegetable Viruses 2023)

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1 pages, 150 KiB

Open AccessCorrection

Correction: Sun, Y.-D.; Yokomi, R. Genotype Sequencing and Phylogenetic Analysis Revealed the Origins of Citrus Yellow Vein Clearing Virus California Isolates. Viruses 2024, 16, 188

by Yong-Duo Sun and Raymond Yokomi

Viruses 2024, 16(4), 553; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16040553 - 1 Apr 2024

Viewed by 757

Abstract

In the original publication [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Fruit and Vegetable Viruses 2023)

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