A novel deltacryptic virus identified in Allium cepa from Brazil

Area of Science:

• Plant Virology
• Genomics
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Partitiviruses are non-enveloped, segmented, double-stranded RNA viruses.
• Cryptic viruses are often asymptomatic and their prevalence and diversity are underestimated.
• The genus Deltapartiivirus within the Partitiviridae family is characterized by specific genomic features.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and characterize a novel partitivirus in onion (Allium cepa).
• To determine the phylogenetic relationship of the new virus with known partitiviruses.
• To contribute to the understanding of partitivirus genetic diversity in Allium species.

Main Methods:

• RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of onion plant tissue.
• Bioinformatic assembly and analysis of viral genomic sequences.
• Phylogenetic analysis to determine viral classification.

Main Results:

• A novel partitivirus genome, consisting of three dsRNAs, was assembled from Brazilian onion samples.
• The new virus is closely related to arhar cryptic virus 1 and was classified in the genus Deltapartiivirus as Allium deltapartitivirus.
• Genomic sequences of this virus were also found in transcriptomic data from onions in China, Czech Republic, India, South Korea, and the USA.

Conclusions:

• This is the first report of a cryptic virus in the genus Allium.
• The discovery of Allium deltapartitivirus highlights the importance of exploring viral diversity in agriculturally significant plants.
• This study enhances knowledge of the genetic diversity of partitiviruses infecting Allium species.