Plant RNA virus sequences identified in kimchi by microbial metatranscriptome analysis

Area of Science:

• Food microbiology
• Plant virology
• Metatranscriptomics

Background:

• Plant pathogenic RNA viruses are prevalent in plant-based foods.
• These viruses can survive human digestion and are detected in feces.
• Kimchi, a fermented Korean food, contains various plant ingredients like cabbage and red pepper.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify plant RNA virus-derived sequences in kimchi using metatranscriptomic analysis.
• To investigate the prevalence and types of plant RNA viruses during kimchi fermentation.
• To assess the utility of metatranscriptome data for RNA virus detection in food.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of microbial metatranscriptome data from kimchi across five fermentation stages.
• Identification and quantification of plant RNA virus sequences.
• Examination of publicly available metatranscriptome datasets for RNA virus detection.

Main Results:

• Substantial plant RNA virus sequences were identified, especially in early fermentation stages (23.47% on day 7, 16.45% on day 13).
• Pepper mild mottle virus was the most abundant, comprising 95% of identified RNA virus sequences.
• Distinct sequencing read-depth distributions were observed, suggesting potential biases.

Conclusions:

• Metatranscriptome data is a valuable resource for detecting plant RNA viruses in fermented foods.
• Systematic screening of ingredients can help prevent the use of virus-infected materials in food production.
• Findings highlight the presence of plant viruses in fermented foods and the effectiveness of metatranscriptomics for their detection.