An assemblage of divergent variants of a novel putative closterovirus from American persimmon

Deep-sequencing analysis of nucleic acids extracted from leaf tissue of an American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana L.) and subsequent-sequencing analyses uncovered at least four distinct closterovirus-like molecules. Two complete genomes of 18,569 and 18,030 nucleotides (nt) and partial genomes of 4,899 and 9,019 nt were determined. The two complete genomes encoded 11 potential open reading frames and the characteristic organization of closteroviruses. Among the four genomes, the putative heat shock protein 70 homolog (HSP70h), RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, and coat protein showed 82-85, 72-91, and 84-87 % amino acid sequence identities, respectively. These results suggested that the four identified viruses could be divergent variants in a single host plant. The phylogenetic tree based on HSP70h showed that their closest relative, although distant, is Olive leaf yellowing-associated virus, a putative unassigned member of the family Closteroviridae. The name Persimmon virus B was proposed for this new virus, representing another unassigned member of the family.