Complete genome sequence of a novel totivirus isolated from the leaves of Myrica rubra

Abstract

Chinese bayberry is a fruit that is appreciated for its taste. A novel totivirus associated with rolling, disfiguring, chlorotic and vein-clearing symptoms on the leaf apices of Chinese bayberry was identified by transcriptome sequencing and reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR). The complete genome of the virus was determined to be 4959 nucleotides long, and it contains two open reading frames (ORFs). Its genomic organization is similar to that of previously reported totiviruses. ORF1 encodes a putative coat protein (CP) of 765 aa, and ORF2 encodes an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of 815 aa. These two putative proteins share 55.1% and 62.6%, amino acid sequence identity, respectively, with the corresponding proteins of Panax notoginseng virus A, respectively. According to the demarcation criteria for totivirus species established by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), the new virus should be considered a member of a new species in the genus totivirus, family Orthototiviridae, which we have tentatively named ''Myrica rubra-associated totivirus'' (MRaTV).