European Journal of Plant Pathology (2018) 150, 1107-1111

Yanan Wang, Wayne B. Borth, James C. Green, Islam Hamim, Keqiang Cao, John S. Hu and Michael J. Melzer (2018)
Genome characterization and distribution of Taro bacilliform CH virus on taro in Hawaii, USA
European Journal of Plant Pathology 150 (4), 1107-1111
Abstract: Taro bacilliform CH virus (TaBCHV) is the second badnavirus found infecting taro (Colocasia esculenta), after Taro bacilliform virus (TaBV). We determined the complete genome of TaBCHV Hawaii Strain (KY359389) from taro in Hawaii and examined its occurrence and distribution. Alignment analysis showed the TaBCHV Hawaii Strain has 93% and 94% sequence identity to China strains TaBCHV-1 and TaBCHV-2 respectively. Phylogenetic analysis basing on the whole genome sequence of 21 selected badnaviruses, showed that the TaBCHV Hawaii Strain clustered within the same branch as the two China strains. All sequences from available TaBCHV strains are most closely related to Piper yellow mottle virus (PYMoV; NC022365) and are most distant from TaBV (NC004450). We used RT-PCR to determine the occurrence and distribution of TaBCHV on taro in Hawaii. The positive rates of the virus on the five islands were 72% on Oahu, 53% on Hawaii, 89% on Maui, 73% on Molokai, and 78% on Kauai, with a mean positive rate of 73%. This is the first report of the complete genome sequence and the first report of the occurrence of this virus in the United States.
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Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Keqiang Cao

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
surveys/sampling/distribution
molecular biology - genes

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Badnavirus betacolocalasiae	Taro (Colocasia)	U.S.A. (Hawaii)