ABSTRACT
We developed an evolutionary epidemiological approach to understand the regional and world-wide dispersion of Yam mild mosaic virus (YMMV) by retracing its evolutionary history. Analyses of the distribution and the prevalence of YMMV in the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, and in French Guyana revealed that YMMV has a wide repartition and different prevalence on Dioscorea alata L. (Asian and Oceanic origin), on D. cayenensis Lam.-D. rotundata Poir. (African origin) and on D. trifida L. (Amazon and the Caribbean origin) in this region. Considering the data on the current dispersion of the virus and the evolution and the history of the yams, the phylogenetic analysis of the 3' terminal part of the YMMV genome gave a consistent support of the Asian-Pacific origin of YMMV from D. alata species. The YMMV phylogenetic tree is star-like, suggesting an early split of the genetic lineages. An important part of the clades is constituted by a single lineage arisen by recombination. The largest emerging monophyletic group illustrates well YMMV geographical dispersion. This evolutionary pattern contrasts with the one revealed by the African distinct lineages and by the second significant monophyletic group, for which a host adaptation to D. trifida is suggested. The analysis of the pattern of nucleotide substitutions in the CP gene revealed that purifying selection dominates the evolution of the CP of potyviruses and strongly operates on the YMMV. Switching events, radiation, host and geographical adaptation and recombination events are proposed as major traits of YMMV evolutionary history.