title: Vector-Enabled Metagenomic (VEM) Surveys Using Whiteflies (Aleyrodidae) Reveal Novel Begomovirus Species in the New and Old Worlds.
abstract: Whitefly-transmitted viruses belonging to the genus Begomovirus (family Geminiviridae) represent a substantial threat to agricultural food production. The rapid evolutionary potential of these single-stranded DNA viruses combined with the polyphagous feeding behavior of their whitefly vector (Bemisia tabaci) can lead to the emergence of damaging viral strains. Therefore, it is crucial to characterize begomoviruses circulating in different regions and crops globally. This study utilized vector-enabled metagenomics (VEM) coupled with high-throughput sequencing to survey begomoviruses directly from whiteflies collected in various locations (California (USA), Guatemala, Israel, Puerto Rico, and Spain). Begomoviruses were detected in all locations, with the highest diversity identified in Guatemala where up to seven different species were identified in a single field. Both bipartite and monopartite viruses were detected, including seven new begomovirus species from Guatemala, Puerto Rico, and Spain. This begomovirus survey extends the known diversity of these highly damaging plant viruses. However, the new genomes described here and in the recent literature appear to reflect the outcome of interactions between closely-related species, often resulting from recombination, instead of unique, highly divergent species.
authors.affiliation: College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701, USA. krosari2@mail.usf.edu.
authors.forename: Karyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rosario
authors.affiliation: Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA. ymseah@eden.rutgers.edu.
authors.forename: Yee Mey
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Seah
authors.affiliation: College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701, USA. ckmarr@mail.usf.edu.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marr
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences and Biomolecular Interaction Centre, University of Canterbury, Ilam, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand. arvind.varsani@canterbury.ac.nz.|Department of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA. arvind.varsani@canterbury.ac.nz.|Structural Biology Research Unit, Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town 7701, South Africa. arvind.varsani@canterbury.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Arvind
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Varsani
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences and Biomolecular Interaction Centre, University of Canterbury, Ilam, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand. simona.kraberger@pg.canterbury.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kraberger
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences and Biomolecular Interaction Centre, University of Canterbury, Ilam, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand. daisy.stainton@pg.canterbury.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Daisy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stainton
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Hortofruticultura Subtropical y Mediterránea "La Mayora" (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Estación Experimental "La Mayora", Algarrobo-Costa, Málaga 29750, Spain. moriones@eelm.csic.es.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Moriones
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA. jep@ufl.edu.
authors.forename: Jane E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Polston
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA. duffy@aesop.rutgers.edu.
authors.forename: Siobain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Duffy
authors.affiliation: College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701, USA. mya@usf.edu.
authors.forename: Mya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Breitbart
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D053839:Begomovirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002140:California; D006166:Guatemala; D006430:Hemiptera / Q000821:virology*; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; D007303:Insect Vectors; D056186:Metagenomics / Q000379:methods*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011647:Puerto Rico; D013030:Spain
keywords: begomovirus; metagenomics; ssDNA; vector; whitefly