Apple scar skin viroid – fruit crops phytopathogen
https://doi.org/10.69536/FKR.2025.30.49.003
Abstract
Apple scar skin viroid, ASSVd (Apscaviroid cicatricimali) is a particularly dange rous phytopathogen affecting pome and stone fruit crops. Viroid infection poses a potential threat that can cause economic damage to fruit production. The most common pathways of ASSVd are contact (mechanically through tools) and grafting (from an infected plant to a healthy one). This article provides a brief overview of the viroid and presents data on the validation of oligonucleotides for ASSVd diagnostics with real-time PCR using Russian reagents. Oligonucleotide performance was tested using Russian Syntol and Evrogen reagent kit. Various isolates of closely related viroids from the Avsunviroidae and Pospiviroidae families were used to conduct experiments assessing primer specificity. In this study, oligonucleotide analysis was performed using the NCBI Primer-BLAST online service. Multiple nucleotide sequence alignments of apple fruit scarring viroid isolates were performed using specialized MAFFT and AliView software. Speciesspecific oligonucleotides were bioinformatically analyzed for the formation of secondary structures— hairpins and dimers—that may affect the diagnosis of the phytopathogen. It was found that the cASSVd/hASSVd and ASS-F/ASS-R primers are capable of forming a large number of secondary structures, which can lead to false-positive results. Using the primers ASSVd-F91/ASSVd-R291, ASSF/ ASS-R and the probe ASS-P, it is possible to identify the apple fruit scarring viroid using the real-time PCR method.
Supporting agencies: The research was carried out within the framework of the State assignment (registration number EGISU NIOKTR 125031103530-8).
About the Authors
I. G. Bashkirova
All-Russian Plant Quarantine Center (FGBU «VNIIKR»)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Ida Bashkirova, PhD in Biology, Researcher, Research and Methodology Department of Virology, Leading Researcher
Bykovo, Ramenskoye, Moscow Oblast
Yu. N. Prikhodko
All-Russian Plant Quarantine Center (FGBU «VNIIKR»)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Yuri Prikhodko, PhD in Agriculture, Leading Researcher, Research and Methodology Department of Virology
Bykovo, Ramenskoye, Moscow Oblast
Yu A. Shneyder
All-Russian Plant Quarantine Center (FGBU «VNIIKR»); Russian State Agrarian University –
Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Yuri Shneyder, PhD in Biology, Head of Research and Methodology Department of Virology, Leading Researcher; Associate Professor of Plant Protection Department
Ramenskoye, Moscow Oblast
E. N. Lozovaya
All-Russian Plant Quarantine Center (FGBU «VNIIKR»)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Evgenya Lozovaya, Researcher, Postgraduate Study Department
Bykovo, Ramenskoye, Moscow Oblast
T. S. Zhivaeva
All-Russian Plant Quarantine Center (FGBU «VNIIKR»)
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Tatyana Zhivaeva, Researcher, Research and Methodology Department of Virology and Bacteriology
Bykovo, Ramenskoye, Moscow Oblast
S. N. Selyavkin
Voronezh Branch of FGBU "VNIIKR", Voronezh, Voronezh Oblast
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Sergey Selyavkin, Junior Researcher
Voronezh
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For citations:
Bashkirova I.G., Prikhodko Yu.N., Shneyder Yu.A., Lozovaya E.N., Zhivaeva T.S., Selyavkin S.N. Apple scar skin viroid – fruit crops phytopathogen. Plant Health and Quarantine. 2025;(4):23-37. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.69536/FKR.2025.30.49.003
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