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Updated: Sep 6, 2025
Arbovirus Infections As Screening Tools for the Identification of Viral Immunomodulators and Host Antiviral Factors
Published on: September 13, 2018
Complete genome analysis of a novel iflavirus from the spotted lanternfly Lycorma delicatula
Yi-Zhe Wang1, Zhuang-Xin Ye1, Jian-Ping Chen1
1State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro‑products, Key Laboratory of Biotechnology in Plant Protection of Ministry of Agriculture and Zhejiang Province, Institute of Plant Virology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315211, China.
Abstract:
The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is an invasive pest that causes serious economic losses in fruit and wood production. Here, we identified a novel iflavirus named "Lycorma delicatula iflavirus 1" (LDIV1), in a spotted lanternfly. The full genome sequence of LDIV1 is 10,222 nt in length and encodes a polyprotein containing a picornavirus capsid-protein-domain-like domain, a cricket paralysis virus capsid superfamily domain, an RNA helicase domain, a peptidase C3 superfamily domain, and an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) domain. LDIV1 replicates in the host insect and activates small interfering RNA (siRNA)-based host antiviral immunity. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that LDIV1 is most closely related to an unspecified member of the order Picornavirales, with 61.7% sequence identity in the RdRp region and 57.6% sequence identity in the coat protein region, and thus meets the demarcation criteria for new species in the genus Iflavirus. To the best of our knowledge, LDIV1 is the first virus discovered in L. delicatula.
