The dsRNA Virus Papaya Meleira Virus and an ssRNA Virus Are Associated with Papaya Sticky Disease

PLoS One. 2016 May 11;11(5):e0155240. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155240. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Papaya sticky disease, or "meleira", is one of the major diseases of papaya in Brazil and Mexico, capable of causing complete crop loss. The causal agent of sticky disease was identified as an isometric virus with a double stranded RNA (dsRNA) genome, named papaya meleira virus (PMeV). In the present study, PMeV dsRNA and a second RNA band of approximately 4.5 kb, both isolated from latex of papaya plants with severe symptoms of sticky disease, were deep-sequenced. The nearly complete sequence obtained for PMeV dsRNA is 8,814 nucleotides long and contains two putative ORFs; the predicted ORF1 and ORF2 display similarity to capsid proteins and RdRp's, respectively, from mycoviruses tentatively classified in the family Totiviridae. The sequence obtained for the second RNA is 4,515 nucleotides long and contains two putative ORFs. The predicted ORFs 1 and 2 display 48% and 73% sequence identity, respectively, with the corresponding proteins of papaya virus Q, an umbravirus recently described infecting papaya in Ecuador. Viral purification in a sucrose gradient allowed separation of particles containing each RNA. Mass spectrometry analysis indicated that both PMeV and the second RNA virus (named papaya meleira virus 2, PMeV2) were encapsidated in particles formed by the protein encoded by PMeV ORF1. The presence of both PMeV and PMeV2 was confirmed in field plants showing typical symptoms of sticky disease. Interestingly, PMeV was detected alone in asymptomatic plants. Together, our results indicate that sticky disease is associated with double infection by PMeV and PMeV2.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Base Sequence
  • Capsid Proteins / genetics
  • Capsid Proteins / metabolism
  • Carica / virology*
  • Gene Expression
  • Genome, Viral*
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • Open Reading Frames
  • Phylogeny*
  • Plant Diseases / virology*
  • Plant Viruses / classification
  • Plant Viruses / genetics*
  • Plant Viruses / ultrastructure
  • RNA Viruses / classification
  • RNA Viruses / genetics*
  • RNA Viruses / ultrastructure
  • RNA, Double-Stranded / chemistry
  • RNA, Double-Stranded / genetics
  • RNA, Double-Stranded / metabolism
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Totiviridae / classification
  • Totiviridae / genetics*
  • Totiviridae / ultrastructure
  • Virion / genetics
  • Virion / ultrastructure

Substances

  • Capsid Proteins
  • RNA, Double-Stranded

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Espírito Santo (FAPES).