Grapevine virus M, a novel vitivirus discovered in the American hybrid bunch grape cultivar Blanc du Bois in Texas

AbstractA novel ssRNA (+) virus with molecular properties typical of members of the genusVitivirus (familyBetaflexiviridae; subfamilyTrivirinae) was discovered by high-throughput sequencing in samples of the American hybrid bunch grape cultivar Blanc du Bois in Texas. The results were independently confirmed by Sanger sequencing of the virus isolate, whose genome length is 7,387 nt, excluding the polyA tail. The genome sequence contains five ORFs that are homologous and phylogenetically related to ORFs of grapevine-infecting vitiviruses. The name “grapevine virus M” is proposed for this new virus, whose sequence divergence exceeds the current ICTV species demarcation threshold for the genusVitivirus.

Source: Archives of Virology - May 20, 2019 Category: Virology Source Type: research