Metaviromic Characterization of Betaflexivirus Populations Associated with a Vitis cultivar Collection in South Africa

David A Read; Genevieve D Thompson; Dirk Z H Swanevelder; Gerhard Pietersen

doi:10.3390/v15071474

Metaviromic Characterization of Betaflexivirus Populations Associated with a Vitis cultivar Collection in South Africa

Viruses. 2023 Jun 29;15(7):1474. doi: 10.3390/v15071474.

Authors

David A Read¹, Genevieve D Thompson², Dirk Z H Swanevelder³, Gerhard Pietersen⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa.
² Gene Vantage, 53 Kyalami Boulevard, Kyalami Business Park, Johannesburg 1684, South Africa.
³ Agricultural Research Council (ARC)-Biotechnology Platform, 100 Old Soutpan Road, Onderstepoort, Pretoria 0110, South Africa.
⁴ Patho Solutions, Olifantskop Road, Wellington 7655, South Africa.

Abstract

South Africa is associated with a centuries-old viticultural industry, accompanied by a diverse range of wine and table grape cultivars and an extensive history of pervasive introductions of vine material and associated viruses. The Vitis D2 collection in Stellenbosch represents the most comprehensive collection of Vitis species, hybrids, and cultivars in South Africa. We collected leaf petiole material from 229 accessions from this collection. Our metaviromic analyses revealed a total of 406 complete/near complete genomes of various betaflexiviruses. Among these, we identified the presence of grapevine rupestris stem pitting-associated virus and grapevine viruses A, B, E, F, H (GVH), I (GVI), and M (GVM). Notably, this study marks the first report of GVH, GVI, and GVM in South Africa, which were confirmed via RT-PCR. This research significantly contributes to our understanding of viral diversity and introductions in South African viticulture and emphasizes the need for vigilant monitoring and management of viral infections. Our findings lay the groundwork for strategies that mitigate the impact of viruses on South Africa's wine industry, which generates an annual revenue of approximately 500 million USD.

Keywords: South Africa; betaflexiviruses; grapevine cultivars; grapevine viruses; viticulture.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Plant Diseases
South Africa
Vitis*
Wine* / analysis

Grants and funding

This research was supported by National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa, grant number 104901. Findings, interpretations, and conclusions presented in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, policies, or positions of the NRF.