Grapevine pinot gris virus epidemiology in vineyards of northwestern Italy
摘要
Grapevine pinot gris virus (GPGV), a member of the genus Trichovirus, has emerged over the past decade as a widely distributed virus infecting grapevine. Although originally described in northeastern Italy in 2012, recent studies have demonstrated its previous presence in Europe, suggesting prolonged undetected circulation, facilitated by the movement of infected propagation material. To clarify the epidemiological status of GPGV in northwestern Italy, a viticultural area previously considered only marginally affected by this virus, we carried out the first systematic survey across 20 localities in Piedmont, Liguria, and Aosta Valley. In total, 452 plants belonging to 16 different Vitis vinifera cultivars and 1,026 RNA samples collected between 2010 and 2014 were analyzed. GPGV was already present in Piedmont in 2012, and data from 2022 to 2023 revealed an overall infection rate of 22.3% in vineyards, with marked heterogeneity in virus spread across both vineyards and cultivars. Phylogenetic analysis of GPGV strains identified in this region, integrated with reference isolates, supported independent introduction events rather than a single regional origin. Despite substantial levels of infection at several sites, no symptoms of grapevine leaf mottling and deformation (GLMD) were observed, confirming the complex interplay between viral, host, and environmental factors in disease expression.