Geographically and temporally distant natural recombinant isolates of Plum pox virus (PPV) are genetically very similar and form a unique PPV subgroup.
Natural recombinant Plum pox virus (PPV) isolates were detected in Albania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary and Slovakia. Despite different geographical origins and dates of isolation, all the recombinant isolates were closely related at the molecular level and shared the same recombination breakpoint as well as a typical signature in their N-terminal coat protein sequence, suggesting a common origin. Biological assays with four recombinant isolates demonstrated their capacity to be aphid-transmitted to various Prunus hosts. One of these isolates had a threonine-to-isoleucine mutation in the conserved PTK motif of its HC-Pro and showed a drastically decreased, although not abolished, aphid transmissibility. The complete genome sequence of one of the recombinant isolates, BOR-3, was determined, as well as some partial sequences in the HC-Pro and P3 genes for additional natural recombinant isolates. Analysis of the phylogenetic relationships between the recombinant isolates and other sequenced PPV isolates confirmed that the recombinant isolates form a phylogenetically homogeneous lineage. In addition, this analysis revealed an ancient recombination event between the PPV-D and M subgroups, with a recombination breakpoint located in the P3 gene. Taken together, these results indicate that recombinant isolates represent an evolutionarily successful, homogeneous group of isolates with a common history and unique founding recombination event. The name PPV-Rec is proposed for this coherent ensemble of isolates.
Institute of Virology, Department of Plant Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84505 Bratislava, Slovakia.
Miroslav
M
Glasa
Agricultural Biotechnology Center, Environmental Biosafety Institute, PO Box 411, H-2101 Godollo, Hungary.
Laszlo
L
Palkovics
Research Institute of Crop Production, Drnovská 507, 161 06 Prague - Ruzyně, Czech Republic.
Petr
P
Komínek
Equipe Epidémiologie - Virus/Vecteurs, UMR BGPI CIRAD TA 41/K, Campus International de Baillarguet, 34398 Montpellier, France.
Gérard
G
Labonne
Institute of Virology, Department of Plant Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84505 Bratislava, Slovakia.
Soňa
S
Pittnerová
Institute of Virology, Department of Plant Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84505 Bratislava, Slovakia.
Otakar
O
Kúdela
UMR GDPP, INRA et Université Bordeaux 2, IBVM, Centre INRA de Bordeaux, BP 81, 33883 Villenave d'Ornon Cedex, France.
Thierry
T
Candresse
Institute of Virology, Department of Plant Virology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 84505 Bratislava, Slovakia.
Zdeno
Z
Šubr
D000818:Animals; D001042:Aphids; D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005060:Europe; D005814:Genes, Viral; D016679:Genome, Viral; D007303:Insect Vectors; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000821:virology; D018515:Plant Leaves; D017801:Plum Pox Virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D027861:Prunus / Q000821:virology*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D017385:Sequence Homology; D014026:Nicotiana; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics
D036022:Capsid Proteins