Genome sequence and characterization of a novel fabavirus infecting Cirsium setidens (gondre) in South Korea

The complete nucleotide sequence of a novel gondre (Cirsium setidens)-infecting virus, provisionally named "cirsium virus A" (CiVA), was determined by high-throughput and Sanger sequencing, revealing a genome organization typical of fabaviruses. RNA1 and RNA2 are 5,828 and 3,478 nucleotides long, excluding the 3'-terminal poly(A) tails, each containing a single open reading frame. The highest sequence identity values for the CiVA coat protein and proteinase-polymerase, compared with known fabavirus sequences, were 59.09% and 69.68%, respectively, falling below the current thresholds for Fabavirus species demarcation. Our findings support classifying CiVA as a novel putative member of the genus Fabavirus, subfamily Comovirinae, family Secoviridae.