title: Moku virus; a new Iflavirus found in wasps, honey bees and Varroa.
abstract: There is an increasing global trend of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) affecting a wide range of species, including honey bees. The global epidemic of the single stranded RNA Deformed wing virus (DWV), driven by the spread of Varroa destructor has been well documented. However, DWV is just one of many insect RNA viruses which infect a wide range of hosts. Here we report the full genome sequence of a novel Iflavirus named Moku virus (MV), discovered in the social wasp Vespula pensylvanica collected in Hawaii. The novel genome is 10,056 nucleotides long and encodes a polyprotein of 3050 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis showed that MV is most closely related to Slow bee paralysis virus (SBPV), which is highly virulent in honey bees but rarely detected. Worryingly, MV sequences were also detected in honey bees and Varroa from the same location, suggesting that MV can also infect other hymenopteran and Acari hosts.
authors.affiliation: Viral Ecology, Marine Biological Association, Plymouth PL7 5BU, UK.|School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AJ, UK.
authors.forename: Gideon J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Mordecai
authors.affiliation: School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Manchester M5 4WT, UK.
authors.forename: Laura E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Brettell
authors.affiliation: The Genome Analysis Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UH, UK.
authors.forename: Purnima
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pachori
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, University of Hawaii, Manoa, HI 96822, USA.
authors.forename: Ethel M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Villalobos
authors.affiliation: School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Manchester M5 4WT, UK.
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AJ, UK.
authors.forename: Ian M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Viral Ecology, Marine Biological Association, Plymouth PL7 5BU, UK.
authors.forename: Declan C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Schroeder
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000821:virology*; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006254:Hawaii; D058507:Host Specificity; D007304:Insect Viruses / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010802:Phylogeny; D012328:RNA Viruses / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D057077:Varroidae / Q000821:virology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014863:Wasps / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins