Identification and Sequence Analysis of a Novel Ilarvirus Infecting Sweet Cherry

• Published in: Plants (Basel) 2021-03, Vol.10 (3), p.514
• Main Authors: Orfanidou, Chrysoula G, Xing, Fei, Zhou, Jun, Li, Shifang, Katis, Nikolaos I, Maliogka, Varvara I
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cherries; Communication; Disease; Fruit trees; Fruits; Genomes; high-throughput sequencing; Ilarvirus; novel species; Nucleotide sequence; Nucleotides; Orchards; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Proteins; Prunus; Sequence analysis; Strawberries; Subgroups; Trees; Viruses
• ISSN: 2223-7747; 2223-7747
• DOI: 10.3390/plants10030514

In the present study, we utilized high throughput and Sanger sequencing to determine the complete nucleotide sequence of a putative new ilarvirus species infecting sweet cherry, tentatively named prunus virus I (PrVI). The genome of PrVI is comprised of three RNA segments of 3474 nt (RNA1), 2911 nt (RNA2), and 2231 nt (RNA3) and features conserved motifs representative of the genus . BlastN analysis revealed 68.1-71.9% nt identity of PrVI with strawberry necrotic shock virus (SNSV). In subsequent phylogenetic analysis, PrVI was grouped together with SNSV and blackberry chlorotic ringspot virus (BCRV), both members of subgroup 1 of ilarviruses. In addition, mini-scale surveys in stone fruit orchards revealed the presence of PrVI in a limited number of sweet cherries and in one peach tree. Overall, our data suggest that PrVI is a novel species of the genus and it consists the fifth member of the genus that is currently known to infect spp.