ABSTRACT: In the last decades, the high incidence of viruses transmitted by whiteflies has become a problem in the tomato fields, threatening, more recently, the potato crops. The present study carried out a survey of begomoviruses and criniviruses in tomato and potato crops, from 2015 to 2018, in the municipalities of Araucária, Campo do Tenente, Campo Largo, Contenda, Lapa, Faxinal, Morretes, Reserva, Castro, Palmeira and São Mateus do Sul, in Paraná State, Brazil. Total DNA and RNA from leaves were extracted and used as templates to detect, respectively, begomoviruses by PCR and criniviruses by RT-PCR. Out of 215 tomato samples, 14 from Faxinal were infected by crinivirus. The other tomato samples and 243 potato samples showed negative results for begomovirus and crinivirus. Results indicated a low incidence (6.5%) of crinivirus infecting tomato crops in Paraná State, and the nucleotide sequence of one amplified fragment shared 99.71% identity with tomato chlorotic virus (ToCV).

RESUMO: Nas últimas décadas, a alta incidência de vírus transmitidos por mosca-branca tornou-se um problema nos campos de tomateiros, ameaçando, mais recentemente, a cultura da batateira. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo realizar um levantamento de begomovírus e crinivírus em lavouras de tomateiro e batateira nos municípios de Araucária, Campo do Tenente, Campo Largo, Contenda, Lapa, Faxinal, Morretes, Reserva, Castro, Palmeira e São Mateus do Sul, no Estado do Paraná, Brasil, de 2015 à 2018. DNA e RNA totais de folhas foram extraídos e utilizados como molde para detectar begomovírus por PCR e crinivírus por RT-PCR. Das 215 amostras de tomateiros coletadas, 14 provenientes de Faxinal estavam infectadas por crinivírus. As demais amostras de tomateiro e as 243 amostras de batateira analisadas apresentaram resultados negativo para begomovírus e crinivírus. Os resultados indicaram baixa incidência (6,5%) de crinivírus infectando lavouras de tomateiros no Estado do Paraná e a sequência de nucleotídeos de um amplicon apresentou 99,71% de identidade com o crinivírus tomato chlorotic virus (ToCV).

Cathodic cage discharge was developed recently in order to eliminate phenomena as edge effect and overheating, which occurs during conventional processes. In this study, the effect of cage configuration in active species during the deposition process and optical properties of TiN film were studied. TiN compound was chosen because its optical properties are very sensitive to slight variations in microstructure and film thickness, becoming a good monitoring tool in fabrication process control. Cages were made of titanium and have different holes numbers and holes diameter. Electrical efficiency of the system and optical properties of TiN films were strongly influenced by experimental conditions. It was found that with more holes at the top of cage, deposition rate and crystallinity were higher, if compared to cages with a small number of holes at the top. On the other hand, the opposite behavior was observed when more holes were located at the sidewall of cage.

Tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV, genus Crinivirus, family Closteroviridae) is a whitefly-transmitted crinivirus with a bipartite RNA genome. This virus is emerging as a serious threat to tomato crops worldwide. To date, only three complete genomic sequences of ToCV have been described from North America, Spain, and Greece isolates. In this study, we present the fourth complete nucleotide sequence of the RNA 1 (8594 nt) and RNA 2 (8242 nt) components of a Brazilian ToCV isolate (ToCV-BR). The complete genome sequences of RNA 1 and RNA 2 have been deposited in the GenBank database under the accession numbers JQ952600 and JQ952601, respectively. The sequences of RNA 1 and RNA 2 shares the highest nucleotide identity of 99.6% and 99.5%, respectively, with the Greek isolate sequences. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that both RNA 1 and RNA 2 of the Brazilian isolate are most closely related to the Greek isolate of that virus. These results suggest that ToCV may have been recently introduced to Brazil from Europe.

Fitoplasmas foram encontrados em vinca (Catharanthus roseus), uma planta tropical herbácea. Plantas exibindo sintomas de virescência, filodia e variegação foram coletadas nos estados de Minas Gerais e São Paulo. O fitoplasma foi transmitido por enxertia a partir de uma planta de vinca infectada para plantas sadias da mesma espécie, e por Cuscuta sp. para uma planta sadia de citrus. Isolados de fitoplasma encontrados em plantas de vinca no Brasil tiveram a região 16S rDNA sequenciada e foram classificados no grupo 16SrIX, subgrupo A, pertencente a espécie 'Candidatus P. phoenicium'.

Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), a tropical perennial plant, was found to be infected by a phytoplasma. Plants exhibiting virescence, phyllody and variegation symptoms were collected in the states of Minas Gerais and São Paulo, Brazil. The phytoplasma was transmitted by grafting from an infected periwinkle plant to healthy plants and by dodder to a citrus plant. Phytoplasma isolates from periwinkle plants from Brazil had the 16S rDNA gene sequenced and were classified in the 16SrIX group, subgroup A, belonging to the 'Candidatus P. phoenicium' species.