The complete nucleotide sequence and genome organization of a novel wheat-infecting luteovirus

To determine the prevalence of wheat-infecting viruses, a viromic survey of wheat plants exhibiting typical plant virus symptoms collected in Hebei province, China, was conducted using rRNA-depleted RNA-seq. A novel luteovirus was discovered and tentatively named "wheat luteovirus 1" (WLV1). RT-PCR and RACE-PCR were performed to determine the complete genome sequence of WLV1, which was found to consist of 5,682 nucleotides (nt), with six AUG-initiated ORFs and one non-AUG-initiated ORF, and to have typical characteristics of members of the genus Luteovirus. Sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analysis indicated that WLV1 was most closely related to several barley yellow dwarf viruses (BYDVs) belonging to the genus Luteovirus, but the level of sequence identity was below the species demarcation threshold (90%). This finding therefore adds a new luteovirus to the list of viruses associated with wheat yellow dwarf disease.