A Novel Cryptic Virus Isolated from Galphimia spp. in Mexico

Area of Science:

• Plant Virology
• Molecular Biology
• Medicinal Botany

Background:

• * Galphimia spp. is a Mexican medicinal plant known for anxiolytic and sedative properties.
• * Viruses can cause plant alterations, including asymptomatic infections by cryptic viruses.
• * High-throughput sequencing (HTS) is a powerful tool for detecting known and novel viral agents in plants.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To investigate the presence of viral agents in two populations of Galphimia spp. using HTS.
• * To identify and characterize any novel viruses within these plant populations.
• * To validate the HTS findings through conventional molecular methods.

Main Methods:

• * High-throughput sequencing (HTS) on an Illumina NextSeq 550 platform.
• * Bioinformatic analysis to identify viral contigs and proteins.
• * Phylogenetic analysis to determine viral classification.
• * Validation using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Sanger sequencing.

Main Results:

• * A putative novel virus, tentatively named Galphimia cryptic virus (GCV), was identified in symptomless Galphimia spp.
• * Two viral contigs showed homology to partitiviruses, encoding RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and coat protein.
• * Phylogenetic analysis placed the new virus within the Deltapartitivirus genus.
• * HTS results were successfully validated by RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing.

Conclusions:

• * A novel cryptic virus (GCV) was discovered in a symptomless Galphimia spp. plant.
• * This represents the first virus identified in medicinal plants in Mexico.
• * The discovery highlights the utility of HTS in uncovering cryptic viral infections in ethnobotanically important species.