title: Detection of Citrus psorosis virus in the northwestern citrus production area of Argentina by using an improved TAS-ELISA.
abstract: Citrus Psorosis in Argentina is a serious disease. Citrus is produced in two regions located in the northeast (NE) and northwest (NW) area of the country. These two areas have different climates and soil types, and therefore different citrus species and varieties are cultivated. In the NE region, Psorosis is epidemic, and in the NW region, the disease was described on several occasions since 1938, but it is not observed commonly in the orchards. Recently, trees with symptoms of Psorosis were observed in the Tucumán and Salta Provinces located in the NW region. Epidemiological studies in Argentina and Texas suggested that the disease is spread naturally by an unknown vector. The causal agent of the disease is the Citrus psorosis virus (CPsV), which can be detected by TAS-ELISA, RT-PCR and indicator plants. A new more rapid TAS-ELISA-HRP (horseradish peroxidase) is described which is more reliable, faster and more sensitive than the currently used for this virus, the TAS-ELISA-AP (alkaline phosphatase). Psorosis was detected by this improved method in few trees in the orchards of the Tucumán Province, in the NW citrus region, although natural spread does not seem to occur.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular (IBBM), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Calles 47 y 115, 1900 La Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: Maria Cecilia
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Zanek
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Peña
authors.forename: Carina Andrea
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Reyes
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Figueroa
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Grau
authors.forename: Maria Laura
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Garcia
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D001118:Argentina; D002957:Citrus / Q000821:virology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D010942:Plant Viruses / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012328:RNA Viruses / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014764:Viral Proteins; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase