Complete genome sequence of a novel carlavirus infecting Passiflora edulis in China

Leaves of Passiflora sp. plants showing systemic chlorosis, mottling, and leaf malformation were observed in Fujian, China, in 2023. High-throughput sequencing of leaf samples from a single plant revealed the presence of passion fruit woodiness virus (PFWV) and a previously undescribed virus. The complete genome of the novel virus is 8,316 nt in length and exhibits a typical Carlavirus genome organization with six open reading frames. Phylogenetic analyses based on replicase and coat protein sequences placed the virus within the genus Carlavirus (family Betaflexiviridae). Mechanical inoculation assays showed that the virus is transmissible to Nicotiana benthamiana, inducing characteristic symptoms. These results indicate that the virus, designated provisionally as passiflora chlorotic crinkle virus (PCCV), represents a novel species of the genus Carlavirus.