Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Evaluation of the Retention of Human-Pathogenic Caliciviruses on Leafy Greens weakened by Phytopathogens

Chin, Ashlina
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1385980489

Abstract Details

2013, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Plant Pathology.
Noroviruses (NoVs) are the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis in the United States, responsible for an estimated 23 million cases annually. NoV-contaminated fresh produce is the most common source of this class of foodborne pathogens, due to their extreme stability and tight association with these minimally processed leafy greens. The goal of this research was to determine whether fresh produce is more prone to NoV contamination if pre-exposed to plant pathogens. Vegetables infected with plant pathogens were assessed for a potential increase in NoV contamination risks, based on the assumption that plant pathogen invasions could weaken plant defense responses and cause changes in extra- and intracellular environments, which could in turn prolong the viability of contaminating NoVs. To conduct the first study, romaine lettuce and spinach, two types of commonly consumed leafy greens, were infected with the phytopathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. vitians strain 701a (a bacterial pathogen of lettuce) or cucumber mosaic virus (CMV-Fny; a viral pathogen of spinach), respectively, and subsequently exposed to porcine sapovirus (Po/SaV), a robust NoV surrogate. Successful infections by plant pathogens were confirmed by occurrence of specific disease symptoms, as well as the detection of X. campestris with selective media, and CMV with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). NoV contamination was simulated by applying a Po/SaV-containing solution onto detached leaves of the plants in both experiments. The treated leaves were then subjected to Po/SaV purification after various lengths of storage periods. The purified viruses were used to inoculate LLC-PK cells to assess their infectivity, as visualized by immunohistochemical staining. Additionally, they were also subjected to viral RNA purification followed by real-time reverse transcription (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to assess the stability of viral genome. The data collected were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and results were considered significant if the p value was smaller than 0.05. Bacterial infection significantly enhanced the retention of Po/SaV by leafy greens after seven days, while plant viral infection did not. These findings suggest that development of wounds and necrotic lesions on fresh produce may significantly contribute the risk of NoV contamination.
Feng Qu (Advisor)
Melanie L. Ivey (Committee Member)
Sally Miller (Committee Member)
Qiuhong Wang (Committee Chair)
Plant Pathology
Caliciviruses, Norovirus, Surrogate, Sapoviruses, Leafy Greens, Phytopathogens

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Chin, A. (2013). Evaluation of the Retention of Human-Pathogenic Caliciviruses on Leafy Greens weakened by Phytopathogens [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1385980489

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Chin, Ashlina. Evaluation of the Retention of Human-Pathogenic Caliciviruses on Leafy Greens weakened by Phytopathogens. 2013. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1385980489.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Chin, Ashlina. "Evaluation of the Retention of Human-Pathogenic Caliciviruses on Leafy Greens weakened by Phytopathogens." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1385980489

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1385980489
463
© 2013, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License Evaluation of the Retention of Human-Pathogenic Caliciviruses on Leafy Greens weakened by Phytopathogens by Ashlina Chin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.