EPPO Global Database

EPPO Reporting Service no. 10 - 2021 Num. article: 2021/223

Citrus tatter leaf virus is now considered to be a synonym of Apple stem grooving virus


Citrus tatter leaf virus (EPPO A1 List) was initially the name given to a virus causing leaf malformation in Citrus excelsa, as well as severe indentations and a brown line and crease at the bud union on trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata), citrange (Poncirus trifoliata x Citrus sinensis) and citrumelo (P. trifoliata x C. paradisi) used as rootstocks. It was included in certification schemes for the production of citrus plants in the EPPO region and was regulated as a quarantine pest in many citrus producing countries. 

When the positive sense, single-stranded RNA genome of CTLV was sequenced, it was realised that it showed very high sequence identity with Apple stem grooving virus (ASGV – Capillovirus, EU RNQP), the type species of the genus Capillovirus, in the family Betaflexiviridae. As a consequence, CTLV isolates from citrus and ASGV isolates from other hosts are today regarded by the ICTV as all belonging to a single species, ASGV (ICTV Master species list). 

ASGV is present in many countries of the EPPO region, and is part of certification schemes for the production of Malus, Pyrus and Cydonia plants for planting. It is a Regulated Non-Quarantine Pest (RNQP) for Malus, Pyrus and Cydonia oblonga in the EU. 

It may be noted that ASGV has recently been recorded for the first time in the EPPO region on citrus in four different regions in Cyprus (Alas et al., 2019). 


Sources

Alas T, Baloglu S, Caglar BK, Gunes A (2019) Detection and characterization of citrus tatter leaf virus (CTLV) and citrus yellow vein clearing virus (CYVCV) in citrus trees from Cyprus. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences 26(5), 995-998. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2019.02.001

EFSA PLH Panel (EFSA Panel on Plant Health), Jeger M, Bragard C, Caffier D, Dehnen-Schmutz K, Gilioli G, Gregoire J-C, Jaques Miret JA, MacLeod A, Navajas Navarro M, Niere B, Parnell S, Potting R, Rafoss T, Rossi V, Urek G, Van Bruggen A, Van der Werf W, West J, Chatzivassiliou E, Winter S, Catara A, Duran-Vila N, Hollo G and Candresse T (2017) Scientific Opinion on the pest categorisation of Tatter leaf virus. EFSA Journal 15(10), 5033, 22 pp. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2017.5033

International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (2020) ICTV Master species list https://talk.ictvonline.org/files/master-species-lists/m/msl