Powdery mildew caused by Erysiphe corylacearum: An emerging problem on hazelnut in Italy.

Erysiphe corylacearum has recently been reported in northern Italy (Piedmont) and other European countries as the causal agent of a new emerging powdery mildew on hazelnut. This disease is much more dangerous than the common hazelnut powdery mildew caused by Phyllactinia guttata as it significantly reduces yield and quality of hazelnuts. This study aimed to perform morphological and molecular characterization of the fungal isolates from powdery mildew-infected plants in the Piedmont Italian region.

Next-generation methods for early disease detection in crops.

Plant pathogens are commonly identified in the field by the typical disease symptoms that they can cause. The efficient early detection and identification of pathogens are essential procedures to adopt effective management practices that reduce or prevent their spread in order to mitigate the negative impacts of the disease. In this review, the traditional and innovative methods for early detection of the plant pathogens highlighting their major advantages and limitations are presented and discussed.

Development of an In-Field Real-Time LAMP Assay for Rapid Detection of Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi Virus.

Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) represents a threat to economically important horticultural crops. A real-time loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for in-field ToLCNDV detection was developed, coupled to a rapid sample preparation method, and tested both in field and laboratory conditions on zucchini squash, tomato, and pepper samples. A set of six LAMP primers was designed for specific ToCLNDV detection, targeting a 218-nucleotide sequence within the AV1 gene.

Development of a Real-Time Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay for the Rapid Detection of Olea Europaea Geminivirus.

A real-time loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was developed for simple, rapid and efficient detection of the Olea europaea geminivirus (OEGV), a virus recently reported in different olive cultivation areas worldwide. A preliminary screening by end-point PCR for OEGV detection was conducted to ascertain the presence of OEGV in Sicily. A set of six real-time LAMP primers, targeting a 209-nucleotide sequence elapsing the region encoding the coat protein (AV1) gene of OEGV, was designed for specific OEGV detection.

Detection of Parietaria Mottle Virus by RT-qPCR: An Emerging Virus Native of Mediterranean Area That Undermine Tomato and Pepper Production in Southern Italy.

Parietaria mottle virus (PMoV) is considered an emerging virus in many countries of the Mediterranean basin, especially on tomato and pepper crops. Symptoms on tomato leaves and fruits can be easily confused with those induced by cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) with necrogenic satellite RNA (CMV-satRNA), tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) or tomato mosaic virus (ToMV). Mixed infection of these viruses has been also reported in some tomato cultivars, with an increase in the complexity of the symptoms and severity of the disease.

Survey of five major grapevine viruses infecting Blatina and Žilavka cultivars in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The sanitary status of grapevines has not yet been considered sufficiently in vineyards throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). An extensive survey of five major grapevine viruses in the country was carried out in 2019. A total of 630 samples from the two dominant autochthonous cultivars, named Žilavka and Blatina, were tested by DAS-ELISA for the presence of grapevine leafroll-associated viruses (GLRaV-1 and 3), grapevine fleck virus (GFkV), grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV) and Arabis mosaic virus (ArMV).

: Seed Transmission Rate and Efficacy of Different Seed Disinfection Treatments.

Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is a highly infectious virus, that is becoming a threat to tomato production worldwide. In this work we evaluated the localization of ToBRFV particles in tomato seeds, its seed transmission rate and efficacy of disinfection, and the effects of different thermal- and chemical-based treatments on ToBRFV-infected seeds' germination. Analyses demonstrated that ToBRFV was located in the seed coat, sometime in the endosperm, but never in the embryo; its transmission from infected seeds to plantlets occurs by micro-lesions during the germination.

Diagnostic accuracy and interobserver variability of CO-RADS in patients with suspected coronavirus disease-2019: a multireader validation study.

Objective: To conduct a multireader validation study to evaluate the interobserver variability and the diagnostic accuracy for the lung involvement by COVID-19 of COVID-19 Reporting and Data System (CO-RADS) score.

Methods: This retrospective study included consecutive symptomatic patients who underwent chest CT and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from March 2020 to May 2020 for suspected COVID-19. Twelve readers with different levels of expertise independently scored each CT using the CO-RADS scheme for detecting pulmonary involvement by COVID-19.

Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification: Principles and Applications in Plant Virology.

In the last decades, the evolution of molecular diagnosis methods has generated different advanced tools, like loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). Currently, it is a well-established technique, applied in different fields, such as the medicine, agriculture, and food industries, owing to its simplicity, specificity, rapidity, and low-cost efforts. LAMP is a nucleic acid amplification under isothermal conditions, which is highly compatible with point-of-care (POC) analysis and has the potential to improve the diagnosis in plant protection.

Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction development for rapid detection of and comparison with other techniques.

Background: (ToBRFV) is a highly infectious tobamovirus that causes severe disease in tomato ( L.) crops. In Italy, the first ToBRFV outbreak occurred in 2018 in several provinces of the Sicily region.

The nucleotide sequence of a recombinant tomato yellow leaf curl virus strain frequently detected in Sicily isolated from tomato plants carrying the Ty-1 resistance gene.

In July 2016, an aggressive syndrome of tomato yellow leaf curl disease was reported in Sicily in tomato plants carrying the Ty-1 resistance gene. A total of 34 samples were collected and analyzed. Twenty-seven out of the 34 samples analyzed appeared to contain only recombinant molecules.

Detection and identification of Fabavirus species by one-step RT-PCR and multiplex RT-PCR.

The genus Fabavirus of the family Secoviridae comprises a group of poorly characterized viruses. To date, only five species have been described: Broad bean wilt virus 1 (BBWV-1), Broad bean wilt virus 2 (BBWV-2), Lamium mild mosaic virus (LMMV), Gentian mosaic virus (GeMV) and Cucurbit mild mosaic virus (CuMMV). The development is described of two RT-PCR procedures for the detection and identification of Fabavirus species: a one-step RT-PCR using a single pair of conserved primers for the detection of all fabaviruses, and a one-step multiplex RT-PCR using species-specific primers for the simultaneous detection and identification of the above-mentioned species of the genus Fabavirus.

Emergence and phylodynamics of Citrus tristeza virus in Sicily, Italy.

Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) outbreaks were detected in Sicily island, Italy for the first time in 2002. To gain insight into the evolutionary forces driving the emergence and phylogeography of these CTV populations, we determined and analyzed the nucleotide sequences of the p20 gene from 108 CTV isolates collected from 2002 to 2009. Bayesian phylogenetic analysis revealed that mild and severe CTV isolates belonging to five different clades (lineages) were introduced in Sicily in 2002.

The complete genome sequence of Lamium mild mosaic virus, a member of the genus Fabavirus.

Lamium mild mosaic virus (LMMV) is the only one of the five members of the genus Fabavirus for which there are no nucleotide sequence data. In this study, the complete genome sequence of LMMV was determined and compared with the available complete genome sequences of other members of the genus Fabavirus. The genome was the largest of the genus but maintained the typical organization, with RNA 1 of 6080 nucleotides (nt), RNA 2 of 4065 nt, and an unusually long 3' untranslated region in RNA 2 of 603 nt.

Recombination profiles between Tomato yellow leaf curl virus and Tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus in laboratory and field conditions: evolutionary and taxonomic implications.

Tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus and Tomato yellow leaf curl virus have co-existed in Italian tomato crops since 2002 and have reached equilibrium, with plants hosting molecules of both species plus their recombinants being the most frequent case. Recombination events are studied in field samples, as well as in experimental co-infections, when recombinants were detected as early as 45 days following inoculation. In both conditions, recombination breakpoints were essentially absent in regions corresponding to ORFs V2, CP and C4, whereas density was highest in the 3'-terminal portion of ORF C3, next to the region where the two transcription units co-terminate.

Simultaneous detection of the seven main tomato-infecting RNA viruses by two multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reactions.

Cucumber mosaic virus, Tomato spotted wilt virus, Tomato mosaic virus, Tomato chlorosis virus, Pepino mosaic virus, Torrado tomato virus and Tomato infectious chlorosis virus cause serious damage and significant economic losses in tomato crops worldwide. The early detection of these pathogens is essential for preventing the viruses from spreading and improving their control. In this study, a procedure based on two multiplex RT-PCRs was developed for the sensitive and reliable detection of these seven viruses.

Population genetics of cucumber mosaic virus infecting medicinal, aromatic and ornamental plants from northern Italy.

The genetic variation and evolution of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) from aromatic, medicinal and ornamental plants in northern Italy was studied by sequence analysis of the movement protein gene and comparison with equivalent sequences of isolates from other countries. Comparison of nonsynonymous and synonymous substitutions suggested that 30% of amino acid sites were under negative selection and only one was under positive selection. Phylogenetic, nucleotide diversity and genetic differentiation analyses suggested that long-distance migration plays a role in the evolution and determination of the genetic structure and diversity of CMV in northern Italy and other areas.