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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #397250
Research Project: Development of Knowledge-based Approaches for Disease Management in Small Fruit and Nursery Crops

Location: Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit

Title: Identification and genetic characterization of a new totivirus from Bursera graveolens in western Ecuador

Author
item CORNEJO-FRANCO, FRANCO - Centro De Investigaciones Biotecnologicas Del Ecuador
item ALVAREZ-QUINTO, ROBERT - Oregon State University
item Mollov, Dimitre
item QUITO-AVILA, DIEGO - Centro De Investigaciones Biotecnologicas Del Ecuador

Submitted to: Archives of Virology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/9/2023
Publication Date: 3/6/2023
Citation: Cornejo-Franco, F., Alvarez-Quinto, R., Mollov, D.S., Quito-Avila, D. 2023. Identification and genetic characterization of a new totivirus from Bursera graveolens in western Ecuador. Archives of Virology. 168. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-023-05715-8.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-023-05715-8

Interpretive Summary: Bursera graveolens is a native tree grown in the dry tropical forest of South America and can be found from Mexico to Peru. It is prized for its wood and essential oils. No pathogens have been described to affect this tree up to now. In this study we identified a new virus from B. graveolens in Ecuador. The genome characterization of this new virus allowed us to develop detection methods. We tested 22 trees and found at least 10 were positive for the new virus. This research opens the possibility to study disease epidemiology of affected trees. It also establishes potential mitigation control measures of diseases associated with this highly priced tree.

Technical Abstract: The complete genomic sequence of a previously uncharacterized virus provisionally named Bursera graveolens totivirus 1 (BgTV-1) was obtained from Bursera graveolens (Kunth) Triana & Planch., a tree known as “palo santo” in Ecuador. The BgTV-1 genome is monopartite double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and 4,794 nucleotides (nt) long (GenBank accession number ON988291). The RdRp of BgTV-1 showed the highest amino acid sequence identities to those of Pterostylis totivirus (ULN99202), and Panax notoginseng virus A (YP_009225665.1) with 55.3% and 55.2%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of the RdRp placed BgTV-1 in a clade with other plant-associated totiviruses, suggesting that BgTV-1 should be considered a member species of the genus Totivirus, family Totiviridae.