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Owens, R.A. and J.Th.J. Verhoeven. 2009. Potato spindle tuber. The Plant Health Instructor. DOI: 10.1094/PHI-I-2009-0804-01
DISEASE: Potato spindle tuber
PATHOGEN: Potato spindle tuber viroid
HOSTS: potato, tomato, ornamentals (Solanaceae)
Authors
Robert A. Owens, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD
J. (Ko) Th. J. Verhoeven, Plant Protection Service, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Of the many diseases caused by viroids, the spindle tuber disease of potatoes was the first to be recognized and studied by plant pathologists. Nearly 50 years were to elapse between initial description of this disease in the early 1920’s and the identification of its causal agent, a small, highly-structured, covalently closed circular RNA molecule known as Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd). PSTVd remains an important pathogen of potato and tomato, and a recent increase in the number of reported latent infections of ornamental species is creating new challenges for current disease management strategies. PSTVd is also a favorite object of study for viroid molecular biologists, thanks in large part to its ability to replicate to high titers in tomato where certain strains rapidly induce the appearance of a characteristic disease syndrome that includes stunting and epinasty.
This lesson is in the public domain and not copyrightable.
It may be freely reprinted with customary crediting of the source.
The American Phytopathological Society, 2009
e-mail: aps@scisoc.org |
