Viroids

Part 1 Introduction: economic impact of viroid diseases. Part 2 Properties of viroids: molecular characteristics; biology; movement; replication; pathogenesis; viroids and gene silencing; classification; viroid-like satellite RNAs. Part 3 Detection of viroids: host considerations; biological indexing; polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; molecular hybridization; polymerase chain reaction. Part 4 Diseases and viroids associated with plant species: viroids of solanaceous species; cucumber viroids - hop stunt viroid in cucumber; pome fruit viroids - apple scar skin viroid in apple, apple scar skin viroid in pear, apple dimple fruit viroid, apple fruit crinkle viroid, pear blister canker viroid; stone fruit viroids - peach latent mosaic viroid in peach, peach latent mosaic viroid in temperate fruit hosts, hop stunt viroid in plum and peach, hop stunt viroid in apricot and almond; avocado viroids - avocado sunbloth viroid; citrus viroids; grapevine viroids; hop viroids - hop stunt viroid; viroids of ornamentals - chrysanthemum stunt viroid; chrysanthemum chlorotic mottle viroid; Coleus blumei viroid, Columnea latent viroid; palm tree viroids - coconut cadang-cadang viroid, cocount tinangaja viroid; natural history of viroids - horticultural aspects. Part 5 Mapping of geographical distribution and epidemiology of viroids: viroids in North America and global distribution of viroid diseases; viroids in South America; viroids in Europe; viroids in the Middle East; viroids in Australasia; viroids in China; viroids in Japan; viroids in Africa. Part 6 Control measures: strategies for the control of viroid diseases; quarantine of imported germplasm; availability of viroid-tested propagation materials; viroid elimination by thermotherapy and tissue culure. Part 7 Diseases of possible viroid aetiology: pear fruit crinkle; citrus gummy bark; eggplant latent; Nicotiana glutinosa stunt; CCVd-related molecules in oil palms, coconut palms and other monocotyledons outside the Philippines. Part 8 Considerations for future applications of viroids: biotechnological approaches for controlling viroid diseases; ribozyme reactions of viroids; considerations for the introduction of viroids for economic advantage.