deep sequencing of small RNAs from watermelon showing the watermalon hardness disease

Chickpea chlorotic dwarf virus (CpCDV), a polyphagous mastrevirus, family Geminiviridae, has been recently linked to the onset of the “watermelon hardness disease”, a syndrome first described in Tunisia, that makes fruits unmarketable and unpleasant because of chlorotic mottling on rind and white hard portions inside the flesh. To investigate the etiological agent of this disease, total RNA was extracted from symptomatic watermelon fruits and subjected to small RNA sequencing through NGS technique. Data obtained showed the presence of CpCDV and two other viral species. However, following validation through PCR, CpCDV was the only viral species consistently detected in all samples.