Characterization of a New Isolate of Chilli ringspot virus in Yunnan, China

Abstract

Virus diseases are the major limiting factors of chilli production in China. A virus isolate of chilli ringspot virus-Yunnan (ChiRSV-YN) from chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) showing mild mosaic, leaf crinkling, ringspot, and vein banding symptoms was recently identified in Yunnan, China. The electron microscopy confirmed the virus as a typical potyvirus having flexuous filamentous particles ca. 780 nm in length. Several chilli and tobacco varieties were tested through mechanical inoculation and found to be susceptible to the virus isolate ChiRSV-YN. The viral genome was sequenced through RNA sequencing. The complete genomic RNA of the isolate (GenBank Acc. No. KX258620) consisted of 9,652 nucleotides (nt) excluding the poly (A) tail at the 3′ end. The isolate contains a large ORF which encodes a polyprotein of 3,086 amino acids (aa) with Mr. of 349.21 kDa. It had a typical genomic organization of potyviruses. The complete nucleotide and polyprotein sequences of ChiRSV-YN had 87.6 and 93.2% identities with the ChiRSV-HN/14, respectively. The result showed ChiRSV-YN is a new isolate of ChiRSV and it is the first full-length genome characterization of ChiRSV in Yunnan, China. Understanding of the characteristics of this virus isolate might provide the basis for disease diagnosis and control in the future.