Prevalence of a vertically transmitted single-stranded DNA virus in spinybacked orbweavers (Gasteracantha cancriformis) from Florida, USA.

Spiders (order Araneae, class Arachnida) are an important group of predatory arthropods in terrestrial ecosystems that have been recently identified as an untapped reservoir of single-stranded (ss)DNA viruses. Specifically, spiders harbour a diversity of ssDNA viruses encoding a replication-associated protein (Rep) within a circular genome. However, little is known about the ecology of novel circular Rep-encoding ssDNA (CRESS DNA) viruses. Here we investigated two CRESS DNA viruses recently identified in spinybacked orbweavers (Gasteracantha cancriformis), namely spinybacked orbweaver circular virus (SpOrbCV) 1 and 2. SpOrbCV-1 was detected in the majority (> 65 %) of spider specimens from all life stages, including eggs, spiderlings and adults, demonstrating that this virus is active within spinybacked orbweavers. In contrast, SpOrbCV-2 was only detected in adults at a lower (36 %) prevalence. Since we also detected SpOrbCV-2 in other spider species and this virus has been reported from a dragonfly, we suggest that SpOrbCV-2 is accumulated in these predators through common insect prey. The prevalence of SpOrbCV-1 in collected specimens allowed us to design assays to characterize this virus, which represents a new group of CRESS DNA viruses, the 'circularisviruses'. To our knowledge, SpOrbCV-1 is the first example of a vertically transmitted virus in spiders, which may explain its high prevalence in spinybacked orbweavers. Since vertically transmitted viruses infecting insects (class Insecta) can manipulate their host's behaviour and physiology, future studies should investigate the ecological role of vertically transmitted viruses in spiders.

Complete genome sequences of three novel cycloviruses identified in a dragonfly (Odonata: Anisoptera) from China.

Three cycloviruses (genus Cyclovirus, family Circoviridae) were recovered from a dragonfly (Odonata: Anisoptera) captured in Fuzhou, China. The three cycloviruses, named dragonfly associated cyclovirus 9, 10 and 11 (DfCyV-9, -10, -11), respectively, show 56.1-79.6% genome-wide identity to known cycloviruses and 61.6-65.1% among themselves. Thus, according to the current species demarcation criteria, they represent three novel cycloviruses. Notably, DfCyV-10 has a predicted replication-associated protein (Rep) that is most similar to that of bat associated cyclovirus 2 (BatACyV-2), a cyclovirus discovered in China, with 79.4% amino acid sequence identity, but a putative capsid protein (Cp) most similar to that of BatACyV-10, a cyclovirus discovered in Brazil, with 71.7% amino acid sequence identity. These data are useful for understanding the diversity and evolution of cycloviruses, especially those found in insects.

Alphasatellitidae: a new family with two subfamilies for the classification of geminivirus- and nanovirus-associated alphasatellites.

Nanoviruses and geminiviruses are circular, single stranded DNA viruses that infect many plant species around the world. Nanoviruses and certain geminiviruses that belong to the Begomovirus and Mastrevirus genera are associated with additional circular, single stranded DNA molecules (~ 1-1.4 kb) that encode a replication-associated protein (Rep). These Rep-encoding satellite molecules are commonly referred to as alphasatellites and here we communicate the establishment of the family Alphasatellitidae to which these have been assigned. Within the Alphasatellitidae family two subfamilies, Geminialphasatellitinae and Nanoalphasatellitinae, have been established to respectively accommodate the geminivirus- and nanovirus-associated alphasatellites. Whereas the pairwise nucleotide sequence identity distribution of all the known geminialphasatellites (n = 628) displayed a troughs at ~ 70% and 88% pairwise identity, that of the known nanoalphasatellites (n = 54) had a troughs at ~ 67% and ~ 80% pairwise identity. We use these pairwise identity values as thresholds together with phylogenetic analyses to establish four genera and 43 species of geminialphasatellites and seven genera and 19 species of nanoalphasatellites. Furthermore, a divergent alphasatellite associated with coconut foliar decay disease is assigned to a species but not a subfamily as it likely represents a new alphasatellite subfamily that could be established once other closely related molecules are discovered.

High global diversity of cycloviruses amongst dragonflies.

Members of the family Circoviridae, specifically the genus Circovirus, were thought to infect only vertebrates; however, members of a sister group under the same family, the proposed genus Cyclovirus, have been detected recently in insects. In an effort to explore the diversity of cycloviruses and better understand the evolution of these novel ssDNA viruses, here we present five cycloviruses isolated from three dragonfly species (Orthetrum sabina, Xanthocnemis zealandica and Rhionaeschna multicolor) collected in Australia, New Zealand and the USA, respectively. The genomes of these five viruses share similar genome structure to other cycloviruses, with a circular ~1.7 kb genome and two major bidirectionally transcribed ORFs. The genomic sequence data gathered during this study were combined with all cyclovirus genomes available in public databases to identify conserved motifs and regulatory elements in the intergenic regions, as well as determine diversity and recombinant regions within their genomes. The genomes reported here represent four different cyclovirus species, three of which are novel. Our results confirm that cycloviruses circulate widely in winged-insect populations; in eight different cyclovirus species identified in dragonflies to date, some of these exhibit a broad geographical distribution. Recombination analysis revealed both intra- and inter-species recombination events amongst cycloviruses, including genomes recovered from disparate sources (e.g. goat meat and human faeces). Similar to other well-characterized circular ssDNA viruses, recombination may play an important role in cyclovirus evolution.

Diverse circular ssDNA viruses discovered in dragonflies (Odonata: Epiprocta).

Viruses with circular ssDNA genomes that encode a replication initiator protein (Rep) are among the smallest viruses known to infect both eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms. In the past few years an overwhelming diversity of novel circular Rep-encoding ssDNA (CRESS-DNA) viruses has been unearthed from various hosts and environmental sources. Since there is limited information regarding CRESS-DNA viruses in invertebrates, this study explored the diversity of CRESS-DNA viruses circulating among insect populations by targeting dragonflies (Epiprocta), top insect predators that accumulate viruses from their insect prey over space and time. Using degenerate PCR and rolling circle amplification coupled with restriction digestion, 17 CRESS-DNA viral genomes were recovered from eight different dragonfly species collected in tropical and temperate regions. Nine of the genomes are similar to cycloviruses and represent five species within this genus, suggesting that cycloviruses are commonly associated with insects. Three of the CRESS-DNA viruses share conserved genomic features with recently described viruses similar to the mycovirus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum hypovirulence-associated DNA virus 1, leading to the proposal of the genus Gemycircularvirus. The remaining viruses are divergent species representing four novel CRESS-DNA viral genera, including a gokushovirus-like prokaryotic virus (microphage) and three eukaryotic viruses with Reps similar to circoviruses. The novelty of CRESS-DNA viruses identified in dragonflies using simple molecular techniques indicates that there is an unprecedented diversity of ssDNA viruses among insect populations.

Identification of diverse circular single-stranded DNA viruses in adult dragonflies and damselflies (Insecta: Odonata) of Arizona and Oklahoma, USA.

Next generation sequencing and metagenomic approaches are commonly used for the identification of circular replication associated protein (Rep)-encoding single stranded (CRESS) DNA viruses circulating in various environments. These approaches have enabled the discovery of some CRESS DNA viruses associated with insects. In this study we identified and recovered 31 viral genomes which represent 24 distinct CRESS DNA viruses from seven dragonfly species (Rhionaeschna multicolor, Erythemis simplicicollis, Erythrodiplax fusca, Libellula quadrimaculata, Libellula saturata, Pachydiplax longipennis, and Pantala hymenaea) and two damselfly species (Ischnura posita, Ischnura ramburii) sampled in various locations in the states of Arizona and Oklahoma of the United States of America (USA). We also identified Sclerotinia sclerotiorum hypovirulence-associated DNA virus-1 (SsHADV-1) in P. hymenaea, E. simplicicollis and I. ramburii sampled in Oklahoma, which is the first report of SsHADV-1 in the New World. The genome architectures of the CRESS DNA viruses recovered vary, but they all have at least two major open reading frames (ORFs) that have either a bidirectional or unidirectional arrangement. Four of the viral genomes recovered, in addition to the three isolates of SsHADV-1, show similarities to viruses of the proposed gemycircularvirus group. Analysis of the Rep encoded by the remaining 24 viral genomes reveals that these are highly diverse and allude to the fact that they represent novel CRESS DNA viruses.

Novel circular DNA viruses identified in Procordulia grayi and Xanthocnemis zealandica larvae using metagenomic approaches.

Recent advances in sequencing and metagenomics have enabled the discovery of many novel single stranded DNA (ssDNA) viruses from various environments. We have previously demonstrated that adult dragonflies, as predatory insects, are useful indicators of ssDNA viruses in terrestrial ecosystems. Here we recover and characterise 13 viral genomes which represent 10 novel and diverse circular replication associated protein (Rep)-encoding single stranded (CRESS) DNA viruses (1628-2668nt) from Procordulia grayi and Xanthocnemis zealandica dragonfly larvae collected from four high-country lakes in the South Island of New Zealand. The dragonfly larvae associated CRESS DNA viruses have different genome architectures, however, they all encode two major open reading frames (ORFs) which either have bidirectional or unidirectional arrangement. The 13 viral genomes have a conserved NAGTATTAC nonanucleotide motif and in their predicted Rep proteins we identified the rolling circle replication (RCR) motif 1, 2 and 3, as well as superfamily 3 (SF3) helicase motifs. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic and pairwise identity analysis of the Rep amino acid sequences reveal that the dragonfly larvae novel CRESS DNA viruses share <63% pairwise amino acid identity to the Reps of other CRESS DNA viruses whose complete genomes have been determined and available in public databases and that these viruses are novel. CRESS DNA viruses are circulating in larval dragonfly populations; however, we are unable to ascertain whether these viruses are infecting the larvae directly or are transient within dragonflies via their diet.

Discovery of a novel mastrevirus and alphasatellite-like circular DNA in dragonflies (Epiprocta) from Puerto Rico.

Geminiviruses have emerged as serious agricultural pathogens. Despite all the species that have been already catalogued, new molecular techniques continue to expand the diversity and geographical ranges of these single-stranded DNA viruses and their associated satellite molecules. Since all geminiviruses are insect-transmitted, examination of insect vector populations through vector-enabled metagenomics (VEM) has been recently used to investigate the diversity of geminiviruses transmitted by a specific vector in a given region. Here we used a more comprehensive adaptation of the VEM approach by surveying small circular DNA viruses found within top insect predators, specifically dragonflies (Epiprocta). This 'predator-enabled' approach is not limited to viral groups transmitted by specific vectors since dragonflies can accumulate the wide range of viruses transmitted by their diverse insect prey. Analysis of six dragonflies collected from an agricultural field in Puerto Rico culminated in the discovery of the first mastrevirus (Dragonfly-associated mastrevirus; DfasMV) and alphasatellite molecule (Dragonfly-associated alphasatellite; Dfas-alphasatellite) from the Caribbean. Since DfasMV and Dfas-alphasatellite are divergent from the limited number of sequences that have been reported from the Americas, this study unequivocally demonstrates that there have been at least two independent past introductions of both mastreviruses and alphasatellites to the New World. Overall, the use of predacious insects as sampling tools can profoundly alter our views of natural plant virus diversity and biogeography by allowing the discovery of novel geminiviruses and associated satellite molecules without a priori knowledge of the types of viruses or insect vectors in a given area.