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Education

• Ph.D.-Oregon State University (Molecular & Cellular Biology)
• M.S./B.S.-Agricultural University of Athens, (Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry)

Courses Taught

Plant Virology

Research Emphasis

Small fruits virus diseases have been understudied and several new virus complexes have emerged in the last decade causing detrimental losses.  One of the goals of our research is to understand the epidemiology of small fruit virus complexes and implement cultural and pest management strategies to minimize disease impact.  Blackberry yellow vein disease (BYVD) and diseases associated with graft transmissible agents in blueberry are two major projects in progress in our laboratory.  BYVD is a devastating disorder that causes major losses in blackberry in the Southern United States.  More than 12 new and old viruses are involved in the disorder and we are collaborating with scientists in Oregon, California, Mississippi and the Carolinas to understand the epidemiology of each virus involved in disease development.  On blueberry we are working with blueberry mosaic and blueberry fruit drop, characterizing the agents associated with both diseases.  Ornamentals are a multibillion dollar industry and viruses can cause significant problems.  Our research focuses on the characterization of several new viruses in rose, verbena and redbud.  Soybean, the most important crop for Arkansas, can suffer significant losses due to virus infection.  We are evaluating resistance and studying the mechanisms of resistance in several cultivars whereas we work towards the characterization of the agent that causes green bean syndrome.

Publications

Last 5 years:

• Tzanetakis, I.E., Postman, J.D., Samad, A. and Martin, R.R. Mint Viruses:  Beauty, Stealth and Disease. Plant Disease, in press.
• Tzanetakis, I.E., Tsai, C.-H., Martin, R.R. and Dreher, T.W., 2009.  A tymovirus with an atypical 3'-UTR illuminates the possibilities for 3'-UTR evolution.  Virology, in press.
• Sabanadzovic, S., Valverde, R.A., Brown, J.K., Martin, R.R., Tzanetakis, I.E., 2009.  Southern tomato virus: The link between the families Totiviridae and Partitiviridae.  Virus Research 140:130-137.
• Tzanetakis, I.E., Guzman-Baeny, T.L., VanEsbroeck, Z.P., Fernandez G.E. Fernandez and Martin, R.R., 2009.  First report of Impatiens necrotic spot virus in blackberry Southeastern United States.  Plant Disease 93:432.  
• Tzanetakis I.E., 2009.  First report of Cucumber mosaic virus in Anemone sp. in the United States.  Plant Disease 93:431.
• Salem, N.M., Chen, A.Y., Tzanetakis, I.E., Mongkolsiriwattana, C. and Ng, J.C., 2009.  Further complexity of the genus Crinivirus revealed by the complete genome sequence of Lettuce chlorosis virus (LCV) and the similar temporal accumulation of LCV genomic RNAs 1 and 2.  Virology 390:45-55. 
• Shin, H-I., Tzanetakis I.E., Dreher, T.W. and Cho T-J., 2009.  The 5'-UTR of Turnip yellow mosaic virus does not include a critical encapsidation signal.  Virology, doi:10.1016/j.virol.2009.02.003
• Wintermantel, W.M., Ladky, L.L., Gulati-Sakhuja, A., Li, R. and Tzanetakis, I.E., 2009.  The complete nucleotide sequence and genome organization of Tomato infectious chlorosis virus:  A distinct crinivirus most closely related to Lettuce infectious yellows virus.  Archives of Virology 154:1335-1341.
• Susaimuthu, J. *, Tzanetakis, I.E. *, Gergerich, R.C., and Martin, R.R. 2008.  A memeber of a new genus in the Potyviridae infects Rubus.  Virus Research 131:145-151 (*authors contributed equally to this work)
• Kraus J., Tzanetakis, I.E., Putnam, M.L., and Martin, R.R. 2008.  Complete nucleotide sequence of an isolate of Coleus vein necrosis virus from verbena.  Archives of Virology 153:381-384.
• Tzanetakis, I.E., Price, R., and Martin, R.R. 2008.  Nucleotide sequence of the tripartite Fragaria chiloensis cryptic virus and presence of the virus in the Americas.  Virus Genes 36:267-272.
• Tzanetakis, I.E., and Martin, R.R. 2008.  A new method for extraction of double stranded RNA from plants.  Journal of Virological Methods 149:167-170.
• Martin, R.R., and Tzanetakis, I.E., 2008.  First report of Rosa multiflora cryptic virus in Rosa multiflora in the eastern United States.  Plant Disease 92:1706.
• Susaimuthu, J., Tzanetakis, I.E., Gergerich, R.C., Kim, K.S., and Martin, R.R. 2008.  Viral interactions lead to decline of blackberry plants.  Plant Disease 92:1288-1292.
• Halgren, A.B., Tzanetakis, I.E., and Martin, R.R. 2007.  Identification, characterization, and detection of Black raspberry necrosis virus.  Phytopathology 97:44-50.
• Tzanetakis, I.E., Halgren, A.B., Mosier, N. and Martin, R.R. 2007.  Identification and characterization of Raspberry mottle virus, a novel member of the Closteroviridae.  Virus Research 127:26-33.
• Tzanetakis, I.E., and Martin, R.R. 2007.  Strawberry chlorotic fleck: Identification and characterization of a novel Closterovirus associated with the disease.  Virus Research 124:88-94.
• Susaimuthu, J., Gergerich, R.C., Bray, M.M., Clay, K.A., Clack, J.R., Tzanetakis, I.E., and Martin, R.R. 2007.  The incidence and ecology of Blackberry yellow vein associated virus.  Plant Disease 91:809-813.
• Tzanetakis, I.E., Postman, J.D., and Martin, R.R., 2007.  First report of Blackberry chlorotic ringspot virus in Rubus sp. in the United States.  Plant Disease 91:463.
• Tzanetakis, I.E., Postman, J.D., and Martin, R.R. 2007.  Identification, detection and transmission of a new Vitivirus from Mentha.  Archives of Virology 152:2027-2033.
• Tzanetakis, I.E., Postman, J.D., and Martin, R.R., 2006.  Mint virus X: a novel potexvirus associated with symptoms in 'Variegata' mint.  Archives of Virology 151:143-153.
• Tzanetakis, I.E., Postman, J.D., Gergerich, R.C., and Martin, R.R., 2006.  A virus between families: nucleotide sequence and evolution of Strawberry latent ringspot virus.  Virus Research 121:199-204.
• Tzanetakis, I.E., Suisumathu, J., Gergerich, R.C., and Martin, R.R., 2006.  Nucleotide sequence of blackberry yellow vein associated virus, a novel member of the Closteroviridae.  Virus Research 116:196-200.
• Tzanetakis, I.E., Wintermantel, W.M., Cortez, A.A., Barnes, J.E., Barrett, S.M., Bolda, M.P., and Martin, R.R., 2006.  Epidemiology of Strawberry pallidosis associated virus and occurrence of pallidosis disease in North America.  Plant Disease 90:1343-1346.
• Martin, R.R., and Tzanetakis, I.E., 2006.  Characterization, detection and management of strawberry viruses.  Plant Disease 90:384-396.
• Susaimuthu, J., Tzanetakis, I.E., Gergerich, R.C., and Martin, R.R., 2006.  Yellow vein-affected blackberries and the presence of a novel Crinivirus.  Plant Pathology 55:607-613.
• Tzanetakis, I.E., Gergerich, R.C., and Martin R.R., 2006.  A new Ilarvirus identified in rose.  Plant Pathology 55:568.
• Wintermantel, W.M., Wisler, G.C., Anchieta, A.G., Liu, H-Y., Karasev, A.V., and Tzanetakis, I.E., 2005.  The complete nucleotide sequence and genome organization of Tomato chlorosis virus.  Archives of Virology 150:2287-2298.
• Tzanetakis, I.E., Reed, J., and Martin, R.R., 2005.  Nucleotide sequence, genome organization and phylogenetic analysis of Strawberry pallidosis associated virus, a new member of the genus Crinivirus.  Archives of Virology 150:273-286.
• Tzanetakis, I.E., Keller, K.E., and Martin, R.R., 2005.  The use of reverse transcriptase for efficient first and second strand cDNA synthesis from single and double-stranded RNA templates.  Journal of Virological Methods 124:73-77.
• Tzanetakis, I.E., and Martin, R.R., 2005.  Fragaria chiloensis cryptic virus: a new strawberry virus found in Fragaria chiloensis.  Plant Disease 89:1241.
• Martin, R.R., Eastwell, K.C., Wager, A., Lamprecht, S., and Tzanetakis, I.E., 2005.  Survey for viruses of grapevine in Oregon and Washington.  Plant Disease 89:763-766.
• Tzanetakis, I.E., Postman, J.D., and Martin, R.R., 2005.  A member of the Closteroviridae from mint with similarities to all three genera of the family.  Plant Disease 89:654-658.
• Tzanetakis, I.E., and Martin, R.R., 2005.  First report of strawberry as a natural host of Apple mosaic Virus.  Plant Disease 89:431.
• Tzanetakis, I.E., Mackey, I.C., and Martin, R.R., 2005.  Tulip virus X (TVX) associated with lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) variegation.  First report of TVX in the United States.  Plant Pathology 54:562.
• Tzanetakis, I.E., Postman, J.D., and Martin, R.R., 2005.  Characterization of a novel member of the Closteroviridae from Mentha.  Phytopathology 95:1043-1048.
• Tzanetakis, I.E., and Martin, R.R., 2005.  New features in the genus Ilarvirus revealed by the nucleotide sequence of Fragaria chiloensis latent virus.  Virus Research 112:32-37.