Phytopathology (2015) 105, 1013-1025

Avijit Roy, John S. Hartung, William L. Schneider, Jonathan Shao, Guillermo Leon, Michael J. Melzer, Jennifer J. Beard, Gabriel Otero-Colina, Gary R. Bauchan, Ronald Ochoa and Ronald H. Brlansky (2015)
Role bending: Complex relationships between viruses, hosts, and vectors related to citrus leprosis, an emerging disease
Phytopathology 105 (7), 1013-1025
Abstract: Citrus leprosis complex is an emerging disease in the Americas, associated with two unrelated taxa of viruses distributed in South, Central, and North America. The cytoplasmic viruses are Citrus leprosis virus C (CiLV-C), Citrus leprosis virus C2 (CiLV-C2), and Hibiscus green spot virus 2, and the nuclear viruses are Citrus leprosis virus N (CiLV-N) and Citrus necrotic spot virus. These viruses cause local lesion infections in all known hosts, with no natural systemic host identified to date. All leprosis viruses were believed to be transmitted by one species of mite, Brevipalpus phoenicis. However, mites collected from CiLV-C and CiLV-N infected citrus groves in Mexico were identified as B. yothersi and B. californicus sensu lato, respectively, and only B. yothersi was detected from CiLV-C2 and CiLV-N mixed infections in the Orinoco regions of Colombia. Phylogenetic analysis of the helicase, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase 2 domains and p24 gene amino acid sequences of cytoplasmic leprosis viruses showed a close relationship with recently deposited mosquito-borne negevirus sequences. Here, we present evidence that both cytoplasmic and nuclear viruses seem to replicate in viruliferous Brevipalpus species. The possible replication in the mite vector and the close relationship with mosquito borne negeviruses are consistent with the concept that members of the genus Cilevirus and Higrevirus originated in mites and citrus may play the role of mite virus vector.
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Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Gabriel Otero-Colina, John S. Hartung, Ronald H. Brlansky, Ronald Ochoa

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
molecular biology - genes
transmission/dispersal of plant diseases

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Brevipalpus phoenicis	Citrus (genus)
	Brevipalpus californicus	Citrus (genus)	Mexico
	Cilevirus leprosis	Citrus (genus)
	Higrevirus waimanalo	Citrus (genus)
	Citrus leprosis virus N	Citrus (genus)	Colombia
	Cilevirus colombiaense	Citrus (genus)	Colombia