OCCURRENCE OF SMALL RNAS IN SEVERELY DISEASED VEGETABLE CROPS

Vegetable crops in the eastern part of Spain have been shown to be affected by a number of virus and viruslike diseases. A complex of viruses has been considered to be the cause of the severe symptoms especially observed during the summer in tomato. The results of a survey conducted to evaluate the incidence of viroidlike RNAs in vegetable crops revealed a surprisingly high frequency of small RNAs of nonhost origin present in a wide range of host tissues. A series of CMV-related satRNAs have been positively identified by molecular hybridization. A new viroidlike RNA, tentatively named eggplant latent viroid (ELVd), was found in eggplant.