Specific detection of three Torradovirus species with digoxigen-labeled probes

Background Torradoviruses are an emerging group of picorna-like plant virus from the family Secoviridae that infect tomato and other Solanaceae species. The genus Torradovirus include four species: Tomato torrado virus (ToTV), first found in Europe, and afterward in Central America and Australia; Tomato apex necrosis virus (ToANV), present in Mexico; Tomato chocolate spot virus (ToChSV) and Tomato chocolate virus (ToChV), both found in Guatemala. The symptoms caused by these viruses include chlorotic regions on the leaves that may develop to necrotic spots and holes, while the fruits show necrotic lines and frequently cracks on the surface, reducing yield and quality [1]. Even though these viruses have not yet been found in Brazil, the sudden spread of ToTV from Europe to Australia and Central America emphasize the necessity of effective methods to detect them. For that reason, we have developed digoxigenin-labelled RNA probes for the detection of three torradoviruses, ToANV, ToChSV and ToTV, through hybridization.