Occurrence and genetic biodiversity of Papaya ringspot virus in Yunnan

Abstract:

[Objective] To determine the presence and genetic diversity of Papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) in Yunnan province. [Methods] Twenty-four symptomatic samples of Carica papaya, Cucurbita moschata and Siraitia grosvenorii were collected from 9 regions of Yunnan province in 2011 and 2012, and tested the presence of PRSV by RT-PCR. The amplicons of 940-bp covering partial coat protein (CP) and 3′-untranslanted region (UTR) were cloned and sequenced. Pairwise comparisons and phylogenetic analysis were performed. [Results] PRSV was detected in 17 samples (70.8%), indicating the virus is common in Yunnan. Sequence analyses revealed the high genetic diversity among the isolates. [Conclusion] PRSV was detected in three different host crops in Yunnan province. Sequence analysis indicated a high genetic diversity among the isolates. Phylogenetic analyses indicated the existence of both PRSV groups, but further research is needed to reveal the correlation between molecular variations of PRSV and geographic regions or the symptoms PRSV causes.