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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Hilo, Hawaii » Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center » Tropical Plant Genetic Resources and Disease Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #394302
Research Project: Management, Characterization, and Evaluation of Pacific Tropical and Subtropical Fruit and Nut Genetic Resources and Associated Information

Location: Tropical Plant Genetic Resources and Disease Research

Title: First detection and complete genome sequence of a new tobamovirus naturally infecting Hibiscus rosa-sinensis in Hawaii

Author
item WANG, XUPENG - University Of Hawaii
item LARREA-SARMIENTO, ANDREA - University Of Hawaii
item OLMEDO-VELARDE, ALEJANDRO - University Of Hawaii
item KONG, A - University Of Hawaii
item BORTH, WAYNE - University Of Hawaii
item Suzuki, Jon
item Wall, Marisa
item MELZER, MICHAEL - University Of Hawaii
item HU, JOHN - University Of Hawaii

Submitted to: Archives of Virology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/11/2022
Publication Date: 1/7/2023
Citation: Wang, X., Larrea-Sarmiento, A., Olmedo-Velarde, A., Kong, A., Borth, W., Suzuki, J.Y., Wall, M.M., Melzer, M., Hu, J. 2023. First detection and complete genome sequence of a new tobamovirus naturally infecting Hibiscus rosa-sinensis in Hawaii. Archives of Virology. 168. Article 40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-022-05634-0.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00705-022-05634-0

Interpretive Summary: Tropical or Chinese Hibiscus is a popular ornamental and landscape plant. The modern sequencing method of high-throughput sequencing or HTS, was used to diagnose the probably cause of virus-like symptoms found in tropical hibiscus growing in Hawaii. Results indicated the presence of two viruses related to virus types originally found infecting tobacco and related crop plants including as tomato, pepper and known as tobamoviruses. One of the tobamoviruses was an isolate of Hibiscus latent Fort Pierce virus (HLFPV) and the second was a new tobamovirus that the authors propose to name Hibiscus latent Hawaii virus (HLHV). Based on controlled experiments, it was found that HLFPV and HLHV did indeed also infect tobacco or closely related tobacco relative. This information will be useful diagnosing monitoring, and curbing disease caused by these viruses and its spread in Hibiscus and susceptible crops in Hawaii and elsewhere.

Technical Abstract: High-throughput sequencing was used to analyze Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (family Malvaceae) plants with virus-like symptoms in Hawaii. Bioinformatic and phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of two tobamoviruses, hibiscus latent Fort Pierce virus (HLFPV) and a new tobamovirus with the proposed name "hibiscus latent Hawaii virus" (HLHV). This is the first report of the complete sequence, genome organization, and phylogenetic characterization of a tobamovirus infecting hibiscus in Hawaii. RT-PCR with virus-specific primers and Sanger sequencing further confirmed the presence of these viruses. Inoculation experiments showed that HLFPV could be mechanically transmitted to Nicotiana benthamiana and N. tabacum, while HLHV could only be mechanically transmitted to N.benthamiana.