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Virome analysis reveals apple mosaic virus in the monumental tree Castagno dei cento cavalli in Sicily

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  • Matilde TESSITORI,
  • Marina CIUFFO,
  • Cristina MARZACHÌ,
  • Marco FORGIA
Matilde TESSITORI
Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
Marina CIUFFO
Institute of Sustainable Plant Protection on National Research Council (IPSP-CNR), 10135 Torino, Italy
Cristina MARZACHÌ
Institute of Sustainable Plant Protection on National Research Council (IPSP-CNR), 10135 Torino, Italy
Marco FORGIA
Institute of Sustainable Plant Protection on National Research Council (IPSP-CNR), 10135 Torino, Italy
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/phyto-16807
Categories

Published 2026-03-16

Keywords

  • HTS-based virus detection,
  • Castanea sativa,
  • chlorotic mottling,
  • ApMV host range

How to Cite

[1]
M. TESSITORI, M. CIUFFO, MARZACHÌ C., and M. FORGIA, “Virome analysis reveals apple mosaic virus in the monumental tree Castagno dei cento cavalli in Sicily”, Phytopathol. Mediterr., Mar. 2026.

Copyright (c) 2026 Matilde TESSITORI, Marina CIUFFO, Cristina MARZACHÌ, Marco FORGIA

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Funding data

  • Università di Catania
    Grant numbers PIACERI of the University of Catania 2024/2026, ‘Diagnosis of poorly known or emerging diseases and development of innovative and environmentally sustainable defence strategies (DIME-SIECO)’

Abstract

The Castagno dei cento cavalli (One hundred horse chestnut) is a monumental Castanea sativa (sweet chestnut) located on the eastern slope of Mount Etna in Sicily (Italy), and is the oldest (>2000 years) known sweet chestnut in the world. In the spring of 2022, symptoms indicating virus infection were observed on this tree. Attempts to visualize virus particles from extracts using transmission electron microscopy were unsuccessful, so high-throughput RNA sequencing was carried out. This identified a tripartite genome (RNA1, RNA2, and RNA3) corresponding to apple mosaic virus (species Ilarvirus ApMV). Serological analyses using polyclonal antiserum confirmed infection in symptomatic but not in asymptomatic leaf samples. This is the first report of ApMV infecting C. sativa, and this virus possibly threatens monumental trees elsewhere internationally. Although efficient ApMV vectors are lacking, limiting the risk of spread, this knowledge highlights the need for monitoring monumental trees as potential reservoirs of novel host‑virus associations, and the importance of careful management of this Sicilian botanical monument.

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