Air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera) plants being grown at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry Biological Control Laboratory II in Alachua County, Florida were observed exhibiting foliar mosaic symptoms characteristic of virus infection. A double-stranded RNA library generated from a symptomatic plant underwent high-throughput sequencing to determine if viral pathogens were present. Sequence data revealed the presence of two viral genomes, one with properties congruent with members of the genus Potyvirus (family Potyviridae), and the other with members of the genus Ampelovirus (family Closteroviridae). Sequence comparisons and phylogenetic placement indicate that both viruses represent novel species. The names "dioscorea mosaic virus" and "air potato virus 1" are proposed for the potyvirus and ampelovirus, respectively.
Keywords: Air potato; Ampelovirus; Genome characterization; High-throughput sequencing; Plant virus; Potyvirus.