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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Molecular Plant Pathology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #359443
Title: A novel species of RNA virus associated with root lesion nematode Pratylenchus penetrans

Author
item VIEIRA, PAULO - Virginia Tech
item Nemchinov, Lev

Submitted to: Journal of General Virology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/22/2019
Publication Date: 3/14/2019
Citation: Vieira, P., Nemchinov, L.G. 2019. A novel species of RNA virus associated with root lesion nematode Pratylenchus penetrans. Journal of General Virology. https://doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.001246#tab2.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1099/jgv.0.001246#tab2

Interpretive Summary: Root lesion nematode Pratylenchus penetrans attacks over 400 crops plants. No effective measures of the disease management are currently available. Here we report a discovery and characterization of a new RNA virus infecting P. penetrans. Prior to this study, no viral pathogens that colonize P. penetrans have been reported in the literature. We believe that this work may provide new opportunities for the control of the parasitic nematode that could potentially reduce its population levels improving food safety and quality. Results of this study will be of interest to the researchers in academia and government organizations working in the fields of virology, nematology and plant pathology.

Technical Abstract: Root lesion nematode Pratylenchus penetrans is a migratory species that attacks a broad range of plants. While analyzing transcriptomic datasets obtained from P. penetrans we have identified a full-length genome of an unknown positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus. The virus was provisionally named root lesion nematode virus 1 (RLNV1). The genome of RLNV1 contains 8614 nucleotides, excluding the poly (A) tail, and encodes a single large polyprotein with conserved domains, characteristic for the families Picornaviridae, Iflaviridae and Secoviridae of the order Picornavirales. Phylogenetic, BLAST, and domain search analyses of the viral nucleotide and predicted polyprotein sequence showed that RLNV1 is a novel species, most closely related to the recently identified sugar beet cyst nematode virus 1 and potato cyst nematode picorna-like virus. In situ hybridization with a DIG-labeled DNA probe, complementary to the portion of the viral genome, confirmed the virus presence within the nematodes and indicated that it is localized near the nematode’s esophageal glands. To our knowledge, RLNV1 is the first virus identified in Pratylenchus spp.