Molecular characterization of passion fruit yellow spot virus, a novel potyvirus infecting passion fruit in La...

Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) leaves displaying yellow spot symptoms were collected in La Réunion. Whilst viral indexing suggested single infections with potyviruses, high-throughput sequencing revealed both single and mixed infections involving cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CABMV; species Potyvirus vignae) and a previously undescribed potyvirus, for which the name passion fruit yellow spot virus (PaYSV; tentative species Potyvirus passifloraflavamaculae) is proposed. Complete genome sequences (9,626 nucleotides) of two PaYSV isolates were obtained from these samples, using RNA sequencing after ribodepletion. The two isolates were highly similar (> 99.3% nucleotide identity) and shared the highest nucleotide (63.6%) and amino acid (71.7%) identities at the polyprotein level with passion fruit woodiness virus (PWV; Potyvirus passiflorae), values that are below the species demarcation thresholds. Our results provide compelling molecular and phylogenetic evidence for the presence of a novel potyvirus species infecting passion fruit in La Réunion.