An Unwanted Association: The Threat to Papaya Crops by a Novel Potexvirus in Northwest Argentina

Dariel Cabrera Mederos; Humberto Debat; Carolina Torres; Orelvis Portal; Margarita Jaramillo Zapata; Verónica Trucco; Ceferino Flores; Claudio Ortiz; Alejandra Badaracco; Luis Acuña; Claudia Nome; Diego Quito-Avila; Nicolas Bejerman; Onias Castellanos Collazo; Aminael Sánchez-Rodríguez; Fabián Giolitti

doi:10.3390/v14102297

An Unwanted Association: The Threat to Papaya Crops by a Novel Potexvirus in Northwest Argentina

Viruses. 2022 Oct 19;14(10):2297. doi: 10.3390/v14102297.

Authors

Dariel Cabrera Mederos^{1

2}, Humberto Debat^{1

2}, Carolina Torres^{3

4}, Orelvis Portal^{5

6}, Margarita Jaramillo Zapata⁷, Verónica Trucco^{1

2}, Ceferino Flores⁸, Claudio Ortiz⁸, Alejandra Badaracco⁹, Luis Acuña⁹, Claudia Nome^{1

2}, Diego Quito-Avila¹⁰, Nicolas Bejerman^{1

2}, Onias Castellanos Collazo², Aminael Sánchez-Rodríguez¹¹, Fabián Giolitti^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Unidad de Fitopatología y Modelización Agrícola, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Córdoba X5020ICA, Argentina.
² Instituto de Patología Vegetal "Ing. Agr. Sergio Fernando Nome", Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Córdoba X5020ICA, Argentina.
³ Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Instituto de Investigaciones en Bacteriología y Virología Molecular, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1425FBQ, Argentina.
⁴ Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires C1425FBQ, Argentina.
⁵ Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Central "Marta Abreu" de Las Villas, Santa Clara 54830, Cuba.
⁶ Centro de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Central "Marta Abreu" de Las Villas, Santa Clara 54830, Cuba.
⁷ Universidad de San Pablo-T, Tucumán 4129, Argentina.
⁸ Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Yuto, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Jujuy Y4518, Argentina.
⁹ Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Montecarlo, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Misiones N3384, Argentina.
¹⁰ Centro de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas del Ecuador, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, Guayaquil 090112, Ecuador.
¹¹ Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja 1101608, Ecuador.

Abstract

An emerging virus isolated from papaya (Carica papaya) crops in northwestern (NW) Argentina was sequenced and characterized using next-generation sequencing. The resulting genome is 6667-nt long and encodes five open reading frames in an arrangement typical of other potexviruses. This virus appears to be a novel member within the genus Potexvirus. Blast analysis of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and coat protein (CP) genes showed the highest amino acid sequence identity (67% and 71%, respectively) with pitaya virus X. Based on nucleotide sequence similarity and phylogenetic analysis, the name papaya virus X is proposed for this newly characterized potexvirus that was mechanically transmitted to papaya plants causing chlorotic patches and severe mosaic symptoms. Papaya virus X (PapVX) was found only in the NW region of Argentina. This prevalence could be associated with a recent emergence or adaptation of this virus to papaya in NW Argentina.

Keywords: Argentina; emerging virus; next-generation sequencing; papaya virus X; potexvirus.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Argentina
Carica*
Genome, Viral
Phylogeny
Plant Diseases
Potexvirus* / genetics
RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase

Substances

RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase

Grants and funding

This research was funded by INTA (project I090), FONCYT-ANPCyT (PICT 2020-02868), and Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (project PROY\INV\CCBIO\2021\3150).