Complete genomic sequence of a novel macluravirus, alpinia oxyphylla mosaic virus (AloMV), identified in Alpinia oxyphylla.

A macluravirus, tentatively named alpinia oxyphylla mosaic virus (AloMV), was identified in Alpinia oxyphylla, and its complete genomic sequence determined. The positively single-stranded RNA genome is comprised of 8213 nucleotides excluding the poly (A) tail, and contains one large open reading frame encoding a polyprotein of 2,626 amino acids. Blastp search showed that the polyprotein of AloMV shared 48%~68% aa sequence identities with other reported macluraviruses. Phylogenetic analysis based on the nucleotide sequence of the polyprotein showed that AloMV, together with all other macluraviruses, clustered into the same group most closely related to cardamom mosaic virus, sharing 66.3% nt and 68% aa sequence identities, respectively. These data above suggest that AloMV represents an isolate of a putative new member within the genus Macluravirus.

Characterization of Canna yellow mottle virus in a New Host, Alpinia purpurata, in Hawaii.

Canna yellow mottle virus (CaYMV) is an important badnavirus infecting Canna spp. worldwide. This is the first report of CaYMV in flowering ginger (Alpinia purpurata) in Hawaii, where it is associated with yellow mottling and necrosis of leaves, vein streaking, and stunted plants. We have sequenced CaYMV in A. purpurata (CaYMV-Ap) using a combination of next-generation sequencing and traditional Sanger sequencing techniques. The complete genome of CaYMV-Ap was 7,120 bp with an organization typical of other Badnavirus species. Our results indicated that CaYMV-Ap was present in the episomal form in infected flowering ginger. We determined that this virus disease is prevalent in Hawaii and could potentially have significant economic impact on the marketing of A. purpurata as cut flowers. There is a potential concern that the host range of CaYMV-Ap may expand to include other important tropical plants.