Molecular characterization of divergent Closterovirus isolates infecting Ribes species

Authors: KOLONIUK, IGOR - Academy Of Sciences Of The Czech Republic (ASCR); THEKKE-VEETIL, THANUJA - University Of Arkansas; REYNARD, JEAN-SEBASTIEN - Agroscope; PLESKO, IRENA MAVRIC - Agricultural Institute Of Slovenia; PRIBYLOVA, JAROSLAVA - Academy Of Sciences Of The Czech Republic (ASCR); BRODARD, JUSTINE - Agroscope; KELLENBERGER, ISABELLE - Agroscope; SARKISOVA, TATIANA - Academy Of Sciences Of The Czech Republic (ASCR); SPAK, JOSEF - Academy Of Sciences Of The Czech Republic (ASCR); LAMOVSEK, JANJA - Agricultural Institute Of Slovenia; MASSART, SEBASTIEN - University Of Liege; HO, THIEN - University Of Arkansas; Postman, Joseph; TZANETAKIS, IOANNIS - University Of Arkansas

Submitted to: Viruses
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/10/2018
Publication Date: 7/12/2018
Citation: Koloniuk, I., Thekke-Veetil, T., Reynard, J., Plesko, I., Pribylova, J., Brodard, J., Kellenberger, I., Sarkisova, T., Spak, J., Lamovsek, J., Massart, S., Ho, T., Postman, J.D., Tzanetakis, I. 2018. Molecular characterization of divergent Closterovirus isolates infecting Ribes species. Viruses. 10(7):369. https://doi.org/10.3390/v10070369.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/v10070369

Interpretive Summary: Symptoms observed in black currants and red currants (Ribes species) let to the discovery of several new viruses that belong to the family Closteroviridae. Laboratory results determined that the same viruses were present in Ribes plants at several different locations in North America and Europe. Long-distance movement of infected plant material was the likely responsible for the wide geographic distribution of these newly described plant viruses.

Technical Abstract: Five isolates of a new member of the family Closteroviridae, tentatively named blackcurrant leafroll-associated virus 1 (BcLRaV-1), were identified in the currant. The 17-kb-long genome codes for 10 putative proteins. The replication-associated polyprotein has several functional domains, including papain-like proteases, methyltransferase, Zemlya, helicase, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Additional open reading frames code for a small protein predicted to integrate into the host cell wall, a heat-shock protein 70 homolog, a heat-shock protein 90 homolog, two coat proteins, and three proteins of unknown functions. Phylogenetic analysis showed that BcLRaV-1 is related to members of the genus Closterovirus, whereas recombination analysis provided evidence of intraspecies recombination.