Areca palm necrotic ringspot virus, classified within a recently proposed genus arepavirus of the family Potyviridae, is associated with necrotic ringspot disease in areca palm

Citation

Yang, K., Shen, W., Li, Y., Li, Z., Miao, W., Wang, A., Cui, H. (2019). Areca palm necrotic ringspot virus, classified within a recently proposed genus arepavirus of the family Potyviridae, is associated with necrotic ringspot disease in areca palm. Phytopathology, [online] 109(5), 887–894. http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-06-18-0200-R

Plain language summary

Potyviruses infenct many agriculturally important crops in the world and constitute of the largest plant virus family. Areca palm necrotic ringspot virus is a newly identified virus that is classified within a recently proposed genus Arepavirus of the family Potyviridae. The virus causes necrotic ringspot virus disease in areca palm. Molecular identification of this new potyvirus assists in the understanding of potyvirus genetic diversity and host range.

Abstract

Areca palm (Areca catechu), one of the two most important commercial crops in Hainan, China, has been severely damaged by a variety of pathogens and insects. Here, we report a new disease, tentatively referred to as areca palm necrotic ringspot disease (ANRSD), which is highly epidemic in the main growing regions in Hainan. Transmission electron microscopy observation and small RNA deep sequencing revealed the existence of a viral agent of the family Potyviridae in a diseased areca palm plant (XC1). The virus was tentatively named areca palm necrotic ringspot virus (ANRSV). Subsequently, the positive-sense single-stranded genome of ANRSV isolate XC1 was completely determined. The genome annotation revealed the existence of two cysteine proteinases in tandem (HC-Pro1 and HC-Pro2) in the genomic 59 terminus of ANRSV. Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis suggested the taxonomic classification of ANRSV into the recently proposed genus Arepavirus in the family Potyviridae. Given the close relationship of ANRSV with another newly reported arepavirus (areca palm necrotic spindle-spot virus), the exact taxonomic status of ANRSV needs to be further investigated. In this study, a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay for ANRSV-specific detection was developed and a close association between ANRSV and ANRSD was found.

Publication date

2019-05-01

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