Synthesis and Characterization of Porous Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Silica Microcapsules for Applications in Agriculture.

Silica (SiO2) particles are widely used in various industries due to their chemical inertness, thermal stability, and wear resistance. The present study describes the preparation and potential use of porous hydrophobic and hydrophilic SiO2 microcapsules (MCs) of a narrow size distribution. First, various layers of SiO2 micro/nano-particles (M/NPs) were grafted onto monodispersed polystyrene (PS) microspheres of a narrow size distribution. Hydrophobic and hydrophilic sintered SiO2 MCs were then prepared by removing the core PS from the PS/SiO2 core-shell microspheres by burning off under normal atmospheric conditions or organic solvent dissolution, respectively. We examined how the size and quantity of the SiO2 M/NPs influence the MC's properties. Additionally, we utilized two forms of hollow SiO2 MC for different applications; one form was incorporated into polymer films, and the other was free-floating. The hydrophobic microcapsules filled with 6% hydrogen peroxide were effective in killing the tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV). The hydrophilic microcapsules filled with thymol and thin coated onto polypropylene films were successfully used to prevent mold formation for hay protection.

A Distinct Arabidopsis Latent Virus 1 Isolate Was Found in Wild Brassica hirta Plants and Bees, Suggesting the Potential Involvement of Pollinators in Virus Spread.

During our search for aphid-pathogenic viruses, a comovirus was isolated from wild asymptomatic Brassica hirta (white mustard) plants harboring a dense population of Brevicoryne brassicae aphids. The transmission-electron-microscopy visualization of purified virions revealed icosahedral particles. The virus was mechanically transmitted to plants belonging to Brassicaceae, Solanaceae, Amaranthaceae, and Fabaceae families, showing unique ringspot symptoms only on B. rapa var. perviridis plants. The complete viral genome, comprised of two RNA segments, was sequenced. RNA1 and RNA2 contained 5921 and 3457 nucleotides, respectively, excluding the 3' terminal poly-adenylated tails. RNA1 and RNA2 each had one open-reading frame encoding a polyprotein of 1850 and 1050 amino acids, respectively. The deduced amino acids at the Pro-Pol region, delineated between a conserved CG motif of 3C-like proteinase and a GDD motif of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, shared a 96.5% and 90% identity with the newly identified Apis mellifera-associated comovirus and Arabidopsis latent virus 1 (ArLV1), respectively. Because ArLV1 was identified early in 2018, the B. hirta comovirus was designated as ArLV1-IL-Bh. A high-throughput-sequencing-analyses of the extracted RNA from managed honeybees and three abundant wild bee genera, mining bees, long-horned bees, and masked bees, sampled while co-foraging in a Mediterranean ecosystem, allowed the assembly of ArLV1-IL-Bh, suggesting pollinators' involvement in comovirus spread in weeds.

Synthesis and Characterization of Durable Antibiofilm and Antiviral Silane-Phosphonium Thin Coatings for Medical and Agricultural Applications.

Pathogens such as bacteria and viruses cause disease in a range of hosts, from humans to plants. Bacterial biofilms, communities of bacteria, e.g., Staphylococcus aureusand Escherichia coli, attached to the surface, create a protective layer that enhances their survival in harsh environments and resistance to antibiotics and the host's immune system. Biofilms are commonly associated with food spoilage and chronic infections, posing challenges for treatment and prevention. Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV), a newly discovered tobamovirus, infects tomato plants, causing unique symptoms on the fruit, posing a risk for tomato production. The present study focuses on the effectiveness of silane-phosphonium thin coatings on polymeric films, e.g., polypropylene. Phosphonium has significant antibacterial activity and is less susceptible to antibacterial resistance, making it a safer alternative with a reduced environmental impact. We successfully synthesized silane-phosphonium monomers as confirmed by 31P NMR and mass spectrometry. The chemical composition, thickness, morphology, and wetting properties of the coatings were tested by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance, focused ion beam, atomic force microscopy, environmental scanning electron microscope, and contact angle (CA) measurements. The antibiofilm and antibacterial activities of the coatings were tested against S. aureus and E. coli, while the antiviral activity was evaluated against ToBRFV. The significant antibiofilm and antiviral activity suggests applications in various fields including medicine, agriculture, and the food industry.

Characterization of a novel psyllid-transmitted waikavirus in carrots.

Carrots collected from the Western Negev region in Israel during the winter of 2019 showed disease symptoms of chlorosis, leaf curling, a loss of apical dominance, and multiple lateral roots that were not associated with known pathogens of the carrot yellows disease. Symptomatic carrots were studied for a possible involvement of plant viruses in disease manifestations using high throughput sequencing analyses. The results revealed the presence of a waikavirus, sharing a ∼70% nucleotide sequence identity with Waikavirus genus members. Virions purified from waikavirus-positive carrots were visualized by transmission electron microscopy, showing icosahedral particle diameter of ∼28 nm. The genome sequence was validated by overlapping amplicons by designed 12 primer sets. A complete genome sequence was achieved by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) for sequencing the 5' end, and RT-PCR with oligo dT for sequencing the 3' end. The genome encodes a single large ORF, characteristic of waikaviruses. Aligning the waikavirus-deduced amino-acid sequence with other waikavirus species at the Pro-Pol region, a conserved sequence between the putative proteinase and the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, showed a ∼40% identity, indicating the identification of a new waikavirus species. The amino-acid sequence of the three coat proteins and cleavage sites were experimentally determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. A phylogenetic analysis based on the Pro-Pol region revealed that the new waikavirus clusters with persimmon waikavirus and actinidia yellowing virus 1. The new waikavirus genome was localized in the phloem of waikavirus-infected carrots. The virus was transmitted to carrot and coriander plants by the psyllid Bactericera trigonica Hodkinson (Hemiptera: Triozidae).

Rapid defense mechanism suppression during viral- oomycete disease complex formation.

Combined infection of the host plant with pathogens involving different parasitic lifestyles may result in synergistic effects that intensify disease symptoms. Understanding the molecular dynamics during concurrent infection provides essential insight into the host response. The transcriptomic pattern of cucumber plants infected with a necrotrophic pathogen, Pythium spinosum, and a biotrophic pathogen, Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) was studied at different time points, under regimes of single and co-infection. Analysis of CGMMV infection alone revealed a mild influence on host gene expression at the stem base, while the infection by P. spinosum is associated with drastic changes in gene expression. Comparing P. spinosum as a single infecting pathogen with a later co-infection by CGMMV revealed a rapid host response as early as 24 hours post-CGMMV inoculation with a sharp downregulation of genes related to the host defense mechanism against the necrotrophic pathogen. Suppression of the defense mechanism of co-infected plants was followed by severe stress, including 30% plants mortality and an increase of the P. spinosum hyphae. The first evidence of defense recovery against the necrotrophic pathogen only occurred 13 days post-viral infection. These results support the hypothesis that the viral infection of the Pythium pre-infected plants subverted the host defense system and changed the equilibrium obtained with P. spinosum. It also implies a time window in which the plants are most susceptible to P. spinosum after CGMMV infection.

A Novel Platform for Root Protection Applies New Root-Coating Technologies to Mitigate Soil-Borne Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus Disease.

Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is a soil-borne virus showing a low percentage of ca. 3% soil-mediated infection when the soil contains root debris from a previous 30-50 day growth cycle of ToBRFV-infected tomato plants. We designed stringent conditions of soil-mediated ToBRFV infection by increasing the length of the pre-growth cycle to 90-120 days, adding a ToBRFV inoculum as well as truncating seedling roots, which increased seedling susceptibility to ToBRFV infection. These rigorous conditions were employed to challenge the efficiency of four innovative root-coating technologies in mitigating soil-mediated ToBRFV infection while avoiding any phytotoxic effect. We tested four different formulations, which were prepared with or without the addition of various virus disinfectants. We found that under conditions of 100% soil-mediated ToBRFV infection of uncoated positive control plants, root-coating with formulations based on methylcellulose (MC), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), silica Pickering emulsion and super-absorbent polymer (SAP) that were prepared with the disinfectant chlorinated-trisodium phosphate (Cl-TSP) showed low percentages of soil-mediated ToBRFV infection of 0%, 4.3%, 5.5% and 0%, respectively. These formulations had no adverse effect on plant growth parameters when compared to negative control plants grown under non ToBRFV inoculation conditions.

Solanum elaeagnifolium and S. rostratum as potential hosts of the tomato brown rugose fruit virus.

Invasive weeds cause significant crop yield and economic losses in agriculture. The highest indirect impact may be attributed to the role of invasive weeds as virus reservoirs within commercial growing areas. The new tobamovirus tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV), first identified in the Middle East, overcame the Tm-22 resistance allele of cultivated tomato varieties and caused severe damage to crops. In this study, we determined the role of invasive weed species as potential hosts of ToBRFV and a mild strain of pepino mosaic virus (PepMV-IL). Of newly tested weed species, only the invasive species Solanum elaeagnifolium and S. rostratum, sap inoculated with ToBRFV, were susceptible to ToBRFV infection. S. rostratum was also susceptible to PepMV-IL infection. No phenotype was observed on ToBRFV-infected S. elaeagnifolium grown in the wild or following ToBRFV sap inoculation. S. rostratum plants inoculated with ToBRFV contained a high ToBRFV titer compared to ToBRFV-infected S. elaeagnifolium plants. Mixed infection with ToBRFV and PepMV-IL of S. rostratum plants, as well as S. nigrum plants (a known host of ToBRFV and PepMV), displayed synergism between the two viruses, manifested by increasing PepMV-IL levels. Additionally, when inoculated with either ToBRFV or PepMV-IL, disease symptoms were apparent in S. rostratum plants and the symptoms were exacerbated upon mixed infections with both viruses. In a bioassay, ToBRFV-inoculated S. elaeagnifolium, S. rostratum and S. nigrum plants infected tomato plants harboring the Tm-22 resistant allele with ToBRFV. The distribution and abundance of these Solanaceae species increase the risks of virus transmission between species.

Pepper Plants Harboring L Resistance Alleles Showed Tolerance toward Manifestations of Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus Disease.

The tobamovirus tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) infects tomato plants harboring the Tm-22 resistance allele, which corresponds with tobamoviruses' avirulence (Avr) gene encoding the movement protein to activate a resistance-associated hypersensitive response (HR). ToBRFV has caused severe damage to tomato crops worldwide. Unlike tomato plants, pepper plants harboring the L resistance alleles, which correspond with the tobamovirus Avr gene encoding the coat protein, have shown HR manifestations upon ToBRFV infection. We have found that ToBRFV inoculation of a wide range of undefined pepper plant varieties could cause a "hypersensitive-like cell death" response, which was associated with ToBRFV transient systemic infection dissociated from disease symptom manifestations on fruits. Susceptibility of pepper plants harboring L1, L3, or L4 resistance alleles to ToBRFV infection following HRs was similarly transient and dissociated from disease symptom manifestations on fruits. Interestingly, ToBRFV stable infection of a pepper cultivar not harboring the L gene was also not associated with disease symptoms on fruits, although ToBRFV was localized in the seed epidermis, parenchyma, and endothelium, which borders the endosperm, indicating that a stable infection of maternal origin of these tissues occurred. Pepper plants with systemic ToBRFV infection could constitute an inoculum source for adjacently grown tomato plants.

Platform for Active Vaccine Formulation Using a Two-Mode Enhancement Mechanism of Epitope Presentation by Pickering Emulsion.

The efficiency of epitope-based vaccination (subunit vaccines) is tightly correlated with heterogeneity and the high density of epitope presentation, which maximizes the potential antigenic determinants. Here, we developed a two-mode platform for intensifying the epitope presentation of subunit vaccines. The two-mode epitope presentation enhancement includes a covalent attachment of high concentrations of SARS-CoV-2-S1 peptide epitope to the surface of virus-like-particles (VLPs) and the subsequent assembly of VLP/epitope conjugates on the oil droplet surface at an oil/water interface of an emulsion as Pickering stabilizers. The resultant emulsions were stable for weeks in ambient conditions, and our platform was challenged using the epitope of the SARS-CoV-2-S1 peptide that served as a model epitope in this study. In vivo assays showed that the αSARS-CoV-2-S1 immunoglobulin G (IgG) titers of the studied mouse antisera, developed against the SARS-CoV-2-S1 peptide under different epitope preparation conditions, showed an order of magnitude higher IgG titers in the studied VLP-based emulsions than epitopes dissolved in water and epitopes administered with an adjuvant, thereby confirming the efficacy of the formulation. This VLP-based Pickering emulsion platform is a fully synthetic approach that can be readily applied for vaccine development to a wide range of pathogens.

Tobacco Rattle Virus as a Tool for Rapid Reverse-Genetics Screens and Analysis of Gene Function in Cannabis sativa L.

Medical cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) is quickly becoming a central agricultural crop as its production has continued to increase globally. The recent release of the cannabis reference genomes provides key genetic information for the functional analysis of cannabis genes. Currently, however, the established tools for in vivo gene functional analysis in cannabis are very limited. In this study, we investigated the use of the tobacco rattle virus (TRV) as a possible tool for virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) and virus-aided gene expression (VAGE). Using leaf photobleaching as a visual marker of PHYTOENE DESATURASE (PDS) silencing, we found that VIGS was largely restricted to the agro-infiltrated leaves. However, when agro-infiltration was performed under vacuum, VIGS increased dramatically, which resulted in intense PDS silencing and an increased photobleaching phenotype. The suitability of TRV as a vector for virus-aided gene expression (VAGE) was demonstrated by an analysis of DsRed fluorescence protein. Interestingly, a DsRed signal was also observed in glandular trichomes in TRV2-DsRed-infected plants, which suggests the possibility of trichome-related gene function analysis. These results indicate that TRV, despite its limited spread, is an attractive vector for rapid reverse-genetics screens and for the analysis of gene function in cannabis.

New early phenotypic markers for cucumber green mottle mosaic virus disease in cucumbers exposed to fluctuating extreme temperatures.

Studies of early stages of cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) disease have been recently focused on plant molecular responses. However, extreme diurnal environmental temperatures, characteristic of global climate changes, could affect plant susceptibility and disease phenotype progression. Our studies of CGMMV disease progression, under simulated extreme temperature waves, have revealed two new disease initiation phenotypes that developed gradually, preceding severe symptom manifestations of post-recovery CGMMV systemic infections. 'Early post-recovery stage' bright yellow islands (BYIs) with defined boundaries amid asymptomatic leaf blades were first emerging followed by 'late post-recovery stage' BYIs with diffused boundaries. A deduced CGMMV disease progression scheme, postulating BYI symptom occurrence time-windows, revealed BYIs in field grown cucumber plants exposed to extreme diurnal temperatures. Profiling ontology of cucumber differentially expressed genes in BYIs vs the associated dark-green surrounding tissues disclosed activation of jasmonic acid (JA) pathway in 'early post-recovery stage' BYIs. JA signaling was inactivated in 'late post-recovery stage' BYIs concomitant with increasing expressions of JA signaling inhibitors and downregulation of JA responsive phenylpropanoid pathway. Our results disclosed a new phenotypic description of CGMMV disease initiation, characteristic of cucumbers grown under extreme environmental temperature fluctuations. The BYI phenotypes could define a time-window for CGMMV disease management applications.

Nanodissection of Selected Viral Particles by Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy/Focused Ion Beam for Genetic Identification.

This study presents the development of a new correlative workflow to bridge the gap between electron microscopy imaging and genetic analysis of viruses. The workflow enables the assignment of genetic information to a specific biological entity by harnessing the nanodissection capability of focused ion beam (FIB). This correlative workflow is based on scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and FIB followed by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR). For this purpose, we studied the tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) and the adenovirus that have significant impacts on plant integrity and human health, respectively. STEM imaging was used for the identification and localization of virus particles on a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grid followed by FIB milling of the desired region of interest. The final-milled product was subjected to genetic analysis by the PCR. The results prove that the FIB-milling process maintains the integrity of the genetic material as confirmed by the PCR. We demonstrate the identification of RNA and DNA viruses extracted from a few micrometers of an FIB-milled TEM grid. This workflow enables the genetic analysis of specifically imaged viral particles directly from heterogeneous clinical samples. In addition to viral diagnostics, the ability to isolate and to genetically identify specific submicrometer structures may prove valuable in additional fields, including subcellular organelle and granule research.

Antiviral Polymers Based on N-Halamine Polyurea.

N-halamines are a commonly applied class of antimicrobial agents used for a variety of applications relating to human health. Here, we present the modulation of the common polymers polyurea and polyguanidine with the N-halamine technology. The N-H bonds in either polymer were converted to N-Cl or N-Br bonds capable of releasing Cl+ or Br+ cations to aqueous media as antiviral agents. Controlled release of the oxidizing agents was monitored for a period of 4 weeks. Antiviral activity was evaluated against the T4 bacteriophage as well as against the highly stable plant virus belonging to the Tobamovirus genus, tomato brown rugose fruit virus. The incorporation of the N-halamine technology on commonly used polymers has effectively introduced antiviral functionality for a wide variety of potential applications.

Interactions of Microorganisms with Lipid Langmuir Layers.

Preventing microbial contamination of aquatic environments is crucial for the proper supply of drinking water. Hence, understanding the interactions that govern bacterial and virus adsorption to surfaces is crucial to prevent infection transmittance. Here, we describe a new approach for studying the organization and interactions of various microorganisms, namely, Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria, E. coli-specific bacteriophage T4, and plant cucumber green mottle mosaic viruses (CGMMV), at the air/water interface using the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique. CGMMV were found as applicable candidates for further studying their interactions with Langmuir lipid monolayers. The zwitterionic, positively, and negatively charged LB lipid monolayers with adsorbed viruses were deposited onto solid supports and characterized by atomic force microscopy. Using polymerase chain reaction, we indicated that the adsorption of CGMMV onto the LB monolayer is a result of electrostatic interactions. These insights are useful in engineering membrane filters that prevent biofouling for efficient purification systems.

Effects of steam sterilization on reduction of fungal colony forming units, cannabinoids and terpene levels in medical cannabis inflorescences.

Medical cannabis (MC) production is a rapidly expanding industry. Over the past ten years, many additional phytocannabinoids have been discovered and used for different purposes. MC was reported beneficial for the treatment of a variety of clinical conditions such as analgesia, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, Tourette's syndrome, epilepsy, glaucoma, Parkinson disease and more. Yet, there is still a major lack of research and knowledge related to MC plant diseases, both at the pre- and postharvest stages. Many of the fungi that infect MC, such as Aspergillus and Penicillium spp., are capable of producing mycotoxins that are carcinogenic, or otherwise harmful when consumed, and especially by those patients who suffer from a weakened immune system, causing invasive contamination in humans. Therefore, there are strict limits regarding the permitted levels of fungal colony forming units (CFU) in commercial MC inflorescences. Furthermore, the strict regulation on pesticide appliance application in MC cultivation exacerbates the problem. In order to meet the permitted CFU limit levels, there is a need for pesticide-free postharvest treatments relying on natural non-chemical methods. Thus, a decontamination approach is required that will not damage or significantly alter the chemical composition of the plant product. In this research, a new method for sterilization of MC inflorescences for reduction of fungal contaminantstes was assessed, without affecting the composition of plant secondary metabolites. Inflorescences were exposed to short pulses of steam (10, 15 and 20 s exposure) and CFU levels and plant chemical compositions, pre- and post-treatment, were evaluated. Steam treatments were very effective in reducing fungal colonization to below detection limits. The effect of these treatments on terpene profiles was minor, resulting mainly in the detection of certain terpenes that were not present in the untreated control. Steaming decreased cannabinoid concentrations as the treatment prolonged, although insignificantly. These results indicate that the steam sterilization method at the tested exposure periods was very effective in reducing CFU levels while preserving the initial molecular biochemical composition of the treated inflorescences.

Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus Contributes to Enhanced Pepino Mosaic Virus Titers in Tomato Plants.

The tobamovirus tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV), a major threat to tomato production worldwide, has recently been documented in mixed infections with the potexvirus pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) CH2 strain in traded tomatoes in Israel. A study of greenhouse tomato plants in Israel revealed severe new viral disease symptoms including open unripe fruits and yellow patched leaves. PepMV was only detected in mixed infections with ToBRFV in all 104 tested sites, using serological and molecular analyses. Six PepMV isolates were identified, all had predicted amino acids characteristic of CH2 mild strains excluding an isoleucine at amino acid position 995 of the replicase. High-throughput sequencing of viral RNA extracted from four selected symptomatic plants showed solely the ToBRFV and PepMV, with total aligned read ratios of 40.61% and 11.73%, respectively, indicating prevalence of the viruses. Analyses of interactions between the co-infecting viruses by sequential and mixed viral inoculations of tomato plants, at various temperatures, showed a prominent increase in PepMV titers in ToBRFV pre-inoculated plants and in mixed-infected plants at 18-25 °C, compared to PepMV-single inoculations, as analyzed by Western blot and quantitative RT-PCR tests. These results suggest that Israeli mild PepMV isolate infections, preceded by ToBRFV, could induce symptoms characteristic of PepMV aggressive strains.

Fungal Pathogens Affecting the Production and Quality of Medical Cannabis in Israel.

The use of and research on medical cannabis (MC) is becoming more common, yet there are still many challenges regarding plant diseases of this crop. For example, there is a lack of formal and professional knowledge regarding fungi that infect MC plants, and practical and effective methods for managing the casual agents of disease are limited. The purpose of this study was to identify foliar, stem, and soilborne pathogens affecting MC under commercial cultivation in Israel. The predominant major foliage pathogens were identified as Alternaria alternata and Botrytis cinerea, while the common stem and soilborne pathogens were identified as Fusarium oxysporum and F. solani. Other important fungi that were isolated from foliage were those producing various mycotoxins that can directly harm patients, such as Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp. The sampling and characterization of potential pathogenic fungi were conducted from infected MC plant parts that exhibited various disease symptoms. Koch postulates were conducted by inoculating healthy MC tissues and intact plants with fungi isolated from infected commercially cultivated symptomatic plants. In this study, we report on the major and most common plant pathogens of MC found in Israel, and determine the seasonal outbreak of each fungus.

Isolation and characterization of a novel cripavirus, the first Dicistroviridae family member infecting the cotton mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis.

A new virus belonging to the family Dicistroviridae was identified in the hibiscus-infesting cotton mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis. Using high-throughput sequencing (HTS) on an Illumina HiSeq platform, a single contig of the complete genome sequence was assembled. The authenticity of the sequence obtained by HTS was validated by RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing of the amplicons, which was also employed for the 3' untranslated region (UTR). The 5' UTR was sequenced using a rapid amplification of cDNA ends kit. A large segment encompassing the whole genome was amplified by RT-PCR using viral RNA extracted from mealybugs. A whole-genome nucleotide sequence comparison showed 89% sequence identity to aphid lethal paralysis virus (ALPV), covering a short segment of 44 bp. Pairwise amino acid sequence comparisons of the protein encoded by open reading frame (ORF) 2 with its counterparts in the GenBank database, showed less than 40% identity to several members of the genus Cripavirus, including ALPV. Phylogenetic analysis based on the deduced amino acid sequence of the ORF 2 protein showed that the new virus grouped with members of the genus Cripavirus. The intergenic region (IGR) internal ribosome entry site (IRES) showed the conserved nucleotides of a type I IGR IRES and had two bulge sites, three pseudoknots, and two stem-loops. Virus morphology visualized by transmission electron microscopy demonstrated spherical particles with a diameter of ~30 nm. This virus was the only arthropod virus identified in the sampled mealybugs, and the purified virus was able to infect cotton mealybugs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a Dicistroviridae family member infecting P. solenopsis, and we have tentatively named this virus Phenacoccus solenopsis virus (PhSoV).

The Potential Risk of Plant-Virus Disease Initiation by Infected Tomatoes.

During 2019, tomato fruits showing viral-like symptoms of marbled yellow spots were abundant in Israel. The new symptoms were distinctive from those typical of tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) infection but resembled symptoms of pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) infection. RT-PCR analysis and the serological tests (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, western blot and in situ immunofluorescence) revealed and confirmed the presence of both the tobamovirus ToBRFV and the potexvirus PepMV in the symptomatic fruits. A mixture of rod-like and filamentous particles, characteristic of viruses belonging to tobamovirus and potexvirus genera, was visualized by transmission electron microscopy of the tomato fruit viral extract. Sanger sequencing of amplified PepMV-coat protein gene segments showed ~98% sequence identity to the Chilean (CH2)-strain. In a biological assay testing the contribution of traded infected tomatoes to the establishment of tomato plant disease, we applied direct and indirect inoculation modes using Tm-22-resistant tomato plants. The results, assessed by disease symptom development along with serological and molecular analyses, showed that the ToBRFV and PepMV co-infected fruits were an effective inoculum source for disease spread only when fruits were damaged. Importantly, intact fruits did not spread the viral disease. These results added a new factor to disease epidemiology of these viruses.

Effects of cold plasma, gamma and e-beam irradiations on reduction of fungal colony forming unit levels in medical cannabis inflorescences.

BACKGROUND: The use of medical cannabis (MC) in the medical field has been expanding over the last decade, as more therapeutic beneficial properties of MC are discovered, ranging from general analgesics to anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial treatments. Together with the intensified utilization of MC, concerns regarding the safety of usage, especially in immunocompromised patients, have arisen. Similar to other plants, MC may be infected by fungal plant pathogens (molds) that sporulate in the tissues while other fungal spores (nonpathogenic) may be present at high concentrations in MC inflorescences, causing a health hazard when inhaled. Since MC is not grown under sterile conditions, it is crucial to evaluate current available methods for reduction of molds in inflorescences that will not damage the active compounds. Three different sterilization methods of inflorescences were examined in this research; gamma irradiation, beta irradiation (e-beam) and cold plasma to determine their efficacy in reduction of fungal colony forming units (CFUs) in vivo. METHODS: The examined methods were evaluated for decontamination of both uninoculated and artificially inoculated Botrytis cinerea MC inflorescences, by assessing total yeast and mold (TYM) CFU levels per g plant tissue. In addition, e-beam treatment was also tested on naturally infected commercial MC inflorescences. RESULTS: All tested methods significantly reduced TYM CFUs at the tested dosages. Gamma irradiation reduced CFU levels by approximately 6- and 4.5-log fold, in uninoculated and artificially inoculated B. cinerea MC inflorescences, respectively. The effective dosage for elimination of 50% (ED50)TYM CFU of uninoculated MC inflorescence treated with e-beam was calculated as 3.6 KGy. In naturally infected commercial MC inflorescences, e-beam treatments reduced TYM CFU levels by approximately 5-log-fold. A 10 min exposure to cold plasma treatment resulted in 5-log-fold reduction in TYM CFU levels in both uninoculated and artificially inoculated B. cinerea MC inflorescences. CONCLUSIONS: Although gamma irradiation was very effective in reducing TYM CFU levels, it is the most expensive and complicated method for MC sterilization. Both e-beam and cold plasma treatments have greater potential since they are cheaper and simpler to apply, and are equally effective for MC sterilization.