Survey of Garlic Virus Disease and phylogenetic Characterization of Garlic Viruses of the Genus Allexivirus Isolated in Korea

Abstract

A survey of virus infection in garlic plants cultivated in Korea was conducted for three years. Most virus-infected garlic plants (Allium sativum) showed typical symptoms on the leaves such as yellow mosaic, stripes, and distortion. Through immunosorbent electron micro-scopy and RT-PCR analysis, the complex mixtures of viruses including garlic viruses of the genus Allerivirus, gaylic strain of Leek yellow stripe virus of the genus Potyvirus, and Garlic latent virus of the genus Carlavirus were identified in the virus-infected garlic plants. Among these viruses, Allexivirus was the most frequently detect-ed in the regions surveyed. Using sets of differential primers for Allexivirus genomes, two members of the genus were amplified and sequenced from the purified viruses. The deduced amino acid sequences for the coat proteins and the nucleic acid binding proteins of two viruses showed high homologies to Garlic virus A (CarV-A) and Garlic virus D (GarV-D) of Allekivirus. This is the first report of GarV-A and GarV-D in Korea. This suggests that Allexivirus in gavlic plants in Korea was mixed and varied. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the genus Allexivirus was diversi(ied by the processes of accumulation and evolution of viruses in garlic plants due to the long period of repeated vegetative propagation.