EPPO-Q-bank

A database to support plant pest diagnostic activities

Minimum requirements for submission of virus isolates to the EPPO-Q-bank Plant Viruses and Viroids database and collections

All isolates included in EPPO-Q-bank should be publicly available from a collection under a quality management system, preferably including a back-up at another location. The identification is done by the depositor and/or by the Q-bank curators. Isolate authentication is pursued prior to making virus isolates available via EPPO-Q-bank.

Minimum requirements

Information on isolates

  • Original host plant species*
  • Propagation host (if not original host)
  • Date of collection*
  • Country where original host plant was found*
  • Name of institute that collected or identified (characterised) the isolate*

* For isolates already present in collections, this information and/or data might not be available. For these 'old' isolates the marked information and/or data are desirable. For 'new' isolates they are considered minimum requirements. Note that not all these data are included in the database.

Information on isolate (for database)

  • Identity of the isolate, preferably based on two different properties
  • Consensus sequence, based on ‘high quality’ sequence data
  • PCR primers (names and sequences) and/or protocol (e.g. NGS) used (if applicable)
  • Optional: reference to publication, accession number NCBI GenBank

Information on isolate (for collection)

  • Propagation host
  • Verification of identity (indicate methods used: electron microscopy, serological test, specific molecular test, sequence analysis, symptomatology on test plants)
  • Verification of viability on test plants
  • Verification of purity (as far as possible) by electron microscopy or other relevant techniques
  • Location of the material (from where the isolate can be obtained; contact details)


For viruses and viroids barcodes are not applicable since they lack universal 'household' genes. In fact, the whole genome should be considered as a barcode. At present, it is not realistic to ask for whole genome sequences for each isolate to enter Q-bank. However, complete genome sequences are appreciated if available.

Credits

Once data are added into the database, the name of the institute(s) depositing or contributing will be credited on the EPPO-Q-bank website.