title: A new ophiovirus is associated with blueberry mosaic disease.
abstract: Blueberry mosaic disease (BMD) was first described more than 60 years ago and is caused by a yet unidentified graft transmissible agent. A combination of traditional methods and next generation sequencing disclosed the presence of a new ophiovirus in symptomatic plants. The virus was detected in all BMD samples collected from several production areas of North America and was thus named blueberry mosaic associated virus. Phylogenetic analysis, supported by high bootstrap values, places the virus within the family Ophioviridae. The genome organization resembles that of citrus psorosis virus, the type member of the genus Ophiovirus. The implications of this discovery in BMD control and blueberry virus certification schemes are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology, Division of Agriculture, University of Arkansas System, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.
authors.forename: Thanuja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thekke-Veetil
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology, Division of Agriculture, University of Arkansas System, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.
authors.forename: Thien
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS, Corvallis, OR 97330, USA.
authors.forename: Karen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS, Corvallis, OR 97330, USA.
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology, Division of Agriculture, University of Arkansas System, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA. Electronic address: itzaneta@uark.edu.
authors.forename: Ioannis E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Tzanetakis
mesh_terms: D029798:Blueberry Plants / Q000821:virology*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D023061:Gene Order; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009656:North America; D010802:Phylogeny; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D010944:Plants; D012328:RNA Viruses / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Blueberry mosaic; Negative-strand RNA virus; Ophioviruses