Sugars and organic acids in plum fruit affected by Plum pox virus.
BACKGROUND
Plum pox virus (PPV) causes severe economic losses in stone fruit production, but little is known about its effect on plum fruit composition. In this study, the influence of PPV on sugars and organic acids was evaluated in a susceptible plum (Prunus domestica L.) cultivar.


RESULTS
PPV infection significantly affected the content and composition of sugars and organic acids. The composition of necrotic tissue was modified the most. A short-time infected tree yielded fruit with similar sugar composition to fruit from a healthy tree, but the decline of organic acids was faster. Prematurely ripened symptomatic fruit had reduced fruit weight and low sugar content.


CONCLUSIONS
Infected trees of the studied cultivar produce fruit of inferior quality. Fruits are not suitable for processing, especially when most of them exhibit visual symptoms of PPV infection. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Agronomy, Chair for Fruit, Wine and Vegetable Growing, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Valentina
V
Usenik
Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Plant Protection Department, Hacquetova 17, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Mojca Virscek
MV
Marn
D000143:Acids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000821:virology; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D017801:Plum Pox Virus / Q000502:physiology*; D027861:Prunus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000821:virology*
D000143:Acids; D002241:Carbohydrates
PPV; Prunus domestica; primary metabolites; sharka; symptomatic fruit