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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » National Germplasm Resources Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #359248
Research Project: Characterizing and Detecting Pathogens to Ensure Safe Exchange of Plant Germplasm

Location: National Germplasm Resources Laboratory

Title: First identification and molecular characterization of a novel cherry robigovirus

Author
item WU, LIPING - Nanchang University
item LIU, HUAWEI - China Agriculture University
item BATEMAN, MARGARITA - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item KOMOROWAKA, BEATA - Research Institute Of Horticulture
item Li, Ruhui

Submitted to: Archives of Virology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/20/2019
Publication Date: 9/13/2019
Citation: Wu, L., Liu, H., Bateman, M., Komorowaka, B., Li, R. 2019. First identification and molecular characterization of apricot symptomless virus. Archives of Virology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-019-04401-y.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-019-04401-y

Interpretive Summary: Stone fruits (Prunus spp.) are a group of globally important tree crops. Many viruses and virus-like pathogens infect stone fruits, including cherries, causing various diseases that reduce their yields and market value. In this study, a new virus in sweet cherry germplasm undergoing quarantine testing was identified by a sensitive sequencing technology. The complete genomic sequence of the virus was determined. Analyses of the genetic information demonstrates it is a new virus in the betaflexivirus group. The virus was also detected in a cherry collection tree at the Poland Research Institute of Horticulture. The study provides the information necessary to classify the virus, and to help develop detection methods for stone fruit quarantine and certification programs.

Technical Abstract: A large contig with sequence similarities to members of the genus Robigovirus was identified by high-throughput sequencing analysis from a symptomless cherry accession. The complete genome sequence of this new virus is 8,384 nucleotides in length, excluding the 3’ poly(A) tail. Its genome organization is very similar to those of four known robigoviruses, encoding a putative replicase, three ‘triple gene block’ proteins, a coat protein, and an unknown protein, 2a. Unlike the four cherry robigoviruses, the new virus does not contain a putative ORF5a. The full-length genome of the virus, which is provisionally named “cherry robigovirus 5” (CRV-5), is 52-57% identical to genome sequences of other robigoviruses. Phylogenetic analysis showed that CRV-5 and other robigoviruses group in a cluster, supporting its assignment to a new species in the genus Robigovirus.