Snake River alfalfa virus, a persistent virus infecting alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in Washington State, USA

Olga A Postnikova; Brian M Irish; Jonathan Eisenback; Lev G Nemchinov

doi:10.1186/s12985-023-01991-7

Snake River alfalfa virus, a persistent virus infecting alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in Washington State, USA

Virol J. 2023 Feb 19;20(1):32. doi: 10.1186/s12985-023-01991-7.

Authors

Olga A Postnikova^{1

2}, Brian M Irish³, Jonathan Eisenback², Lev G Nemchinov⁴

Affiliations

¹ Molecular Plant Pathology Laboratory, USDA/ARS, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD, USA.
² School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
³ USDA/ARS Plant Germplasm Introduction Testing and Research Unit, Prosser, WA, USA.
⁴ Molecular Plant Pathology Laboratory, USDA/ARS, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD, USA. lev.nemchinov@usda.gov.

Abstract

Here we report an occurrence of Snake River alfalfa virus (SRAV) in Washington state, USA. SRAV was recently identified in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) plants and western flower thrips in south-central Idaho and proposed to be a first flavi-like virus identified in a plant host. We argue that the SRAV, based on its prevalence in alfalfa plants, readily detectable dsRNA, genome structure, presence in alfalfa seeds, and seed-mediated transmission is a persistent new virus distantly resembling members of the family Endornaviridae.

Keywords: Alfalfa; Endornavirus; Medicago sativa L.; Seed transmission; Snake River alfalfa virus.

Publication types

Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Medicago sativa*
Rivers*
Seeds
Washington