Genome sequencing, host range and Real-time reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) detection of Tomato brown rugose fruit virus

Authors: Chanda, Bidisha; RIVERA, YAZMÍN - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); NUNZIATA, SCHYLER - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); GALVEZ, MARCO - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); Gilliard, Andrea; Ling, Kai-Shu

Submitted to: Phytopathology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/15/2020
Publication Date: 12/1/2020
Citation: Chanda, B., Rivera, Y., Nunziata, S., Galvez, M., Gilliard, A.C., Ling, K. 2020. Genome sequencing, host range and Real-time reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) detection of Tomato brown rugose fruit virus. Phytopathology. 12S2.165. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-110-12-S2.1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-110-12-S2.1

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) has caused serious disease outbreaks in greenhouse tomatoes from many countries in Asia, Europe and North America ever since its first identification in 2014 in the Middle East. With its seed-borne nature, easy mechanical transmission and resistance breaking to the popular Tm2^2 gene, ToBRFV could potentially cause serious economic losses to tomato industries worldwide if not managed timely. In the U.S., the first ToBRFV outbreak on tomato was identified in 2018 in a greenhouse facility in California. In the current study, using high throughput sequencing, a complete genome sequence of the US isolate of ToBRFV was obtained. The high nucleotide sequence identity (99%) to other known ToBRFV isolates around the world suggests a high possibility in sharing the same or similar origin. In a comparative evaluation of potential host ranges among tomato-infecting tobamoviruses, tomato mosaic virus (TMV), tomato mottle mosaic virus (ToMMV) and ToBRFV, despite of many similarities, some unique host species were also identified for each respective virus. Many plant species belonging to four families (Amaranthaceae, Apocynaceae, Asteraceae and Solanaceae) were hosts for ToBRFV. On the other hand, plants of three other families (Brassicaceae, Cucurbitaceae and Verbenaceae) were non hosts for ToBRFV. Due to cross serological reactivity among tomato-infecting tobamoviruses, the current serological tests enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA, immunostrips) are good for general diagnosis of a possible tobamovirus infection. A species-specific real-time RT-PCR was developed for ToBRFV which was shown to be useful for plant health and seed health assays.