An Integrated Analysis of the Passifloraceae Virome Using Public Domain Data

Passifloraceae is a plant family that includes several species of interest in the food, medicinal, and ornamental industries. The most relevant species are the purple and yellow varieties of Passiflora edulis, which are among the most highly prized tropical fruits in the international markets. Unfortunately, the rapid expansion of this crop worldwide has resulted in the emergence of several viral diseases that endanger the productivity of this crop. In this work, we performed an integrated analysis of the Passifloraceae virome using public data. We investigated PubMed and GenBank records and analyzed all the transcriptome data available for members of this plant family. This analysis resulted in the identification of six novel virus associations and six putative new viral species. We also used RNA sequencing data from public databases to inspect virus accumulation levels and mixed infections. Using network analysis, we also examined the global distribution of Passiflora viruses and their associations with alternative hosts, which is valuable information for implementing viral disease management strategies. Our data suggest that a large diversity of viruses remains to be discovered. Finally, we used the information gathered in this work to estimate the cross-transmission risk of viruses in Colombian Passiflora fields.