Characterization of taro reovirus and its status in taro (Colocasia esculenta) germplasm from the Pacific

Arch Virol. 2021 Sep;166(9):2563-2567. doi: 10.1007/s00705-021-05108-9. Epub 2021 Jun 11.

Abstract

Taro reovirus (TaRV) has been reported infecting taro (Colocasia esculenta) in the South Pacific, but information on the virus is limited. Here, we report the genome sequence of a reovirus infecting taro in Papua New Guinea that had 10 genomic segments ranging from 1.1 to 3.9 kilobase pairs (kbp) in length with a total genome length of 26.3 kbp. TaRV was most closely related to rice ragged stunt virus (RRSV) but did not cross-react with RRSV polyclonal antisera. TaRV was not detected in 82 germplasm accessions of taro in Hawaii, or samples collected in American Samoa, Fiji, Guam, Palau, or Vanuatu.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Base Sequence
  • Colocasia / virology*
  • Genome, Viral
  • Hawaii
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  • Orthoreovirus / classification*
  • Orthoreovirus / genetics*
  • Orthoreovirus / isolation & purification
  • Phylogeny
  • Reoviridae / classification
  • Reoviridae / genetics

Supplementary concepts

  • Rice ragged stunt virus