Potential of the citrus bark cracking viroid (CBCVD) to infect hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)

Rostohar, Zala (author), Murovec, Jana (author), Volk, Helena (author)

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) faces increasing threats from various pathogens, including Cocadviroid latenshumuli also known as Hop Latent Viroid (HLVd), which causes dudding disease. Cocadviroid rimocitri, also known as Citrus Bark Cracking Viroid (CBCVd) severely affects hops, a close relative of hemp, raising concerns about its potential to infect hemp. This study investigated whether CBCVd can infect hemp and assessed tissue culture as a model for viroid research. Additionally, the effectiveness of in vitro synthesized viroid transcripts versus plant-derived RNA for infection was compared. Hemp tissue cultures were established and inoculated with CBCVd and HLVd transcripts or CBCVd and HLVd containing RNA. RT-PCR and sequencing confirmed infections, with transcript-based inoculation proving more effective than RNA-derived inoculation. CBCVd successfully infected hemp, expanding its known host range. No symptoms were observed in tissue cultures, but ex vitro acclimatized plants showed reduced growth, with HLVd-infected plant displaying the more severe effects than CBCVd-infected plant. This study provides the first evidence that CBCVd can artificially infect hemp under controlled conditions, highlighting potential transmission risks in agricultural settings. Additionally, tissue culture proved a valuable tool for viroid research, with transcript-based inoculation offering higher efficiency.

• Language: English
• Keywords: HLVd, CBCVd, dudding disease, in vitro transcription, Cocadviroid
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 267-274
• Numbering: Volǂ 52, No. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-175836
• UDC: 631
• ISSN on article: 0534-0012
• DOI: 10.2298/GENSR2502267R
• COBISS.SI-ID: 256581379
• Publication date in RUL: 10.11.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Genetika : časopis Saveza društava genetičara Jugoslavije
• Shortened title: Genetika
• Publisher: Unija bioloških naučnih društava Jugoslavije
• ISSN: 0534-0012
• COBISS.SI-ID: 5143

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Serbian (cyrillic)
• Title: Potencijal viroida pucanja kore citrusa (CBCVD) da inficira konoplju (Cannabis sativa L.)
• Keywords: Cannabis sativa, konoplja, viroid razpokanosti skorje agrumov, okužba

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P4-0077
• Name: Kmetijske rastline - genetika in sodobne tehnologije