Identification and Molecular Characterization of Dahlia common mosaic virus from Silphium spp, a new natural host of the virus

Abstract

Dahlia common mosaic virus (DCMV) was previously reported to infect only dahlias (Dahlia variabilis). However, DCMV was identified for the first time in association with Silphium spp. The complete genome of DCMV was cloned and sequenced from naturally occurring symptomatic silphium plants grown in Kansas, USA. The two DCMV silphium isolates sequenced showed over 98% sequence identity with those reported from dahlia (Dahlia variabilis). The Dahlia variabilis endogenous pararetroviral sequence (DvEPRS) was also detected in all 19 silphium samples tested in this study suggesting that DvEPRS may exist as an integrated sequence in the silphium genome as well. Our findings indicate that the host range of DCMV appears to include other plant species besides dahlia.