Molecular evolution of tomato black ring virus and de novo generation of a new type of defective RNAs during long‐term passaging in different hosts
Tomato black ring virus (TBRV) is a worldwide-distributed RNA virus infecting a wide range of different host plants, including crop species, trees, shrubs, and weeds. Here, we investigated the molecular evolution of TBRV and its adaptability to different plant species. The TBRV-Pi isolate was used to generate five independent evolution lineages serially passaged in either quinoa, tobacco, or tomato plants. After 15 passages, the genetic variability present in all the lineages was characterized for the movement (MP) and coat (CP) coding cistrons. We addressed two main questions: to what extent does the amount of genetic variability in the TBRV genome depend on the host species, and are there…
Evolving by deleting: patterns of molecular evolution of Apple stem pitting virus isolates from Poland
In this study, 267 coat protein gene (CP) sequences from 48 Polish isolates of Apple stem pitting virus (ASPV) were determined. The genetic structure of the virus population was analysed and possible mechanisms of molecular evolution explored. We found evidence of recombination within the ASPV population and the presence of 17 ASPV molecular variants that differ in the length, number and arrangement of deletions in the CP. Population genetic analyses showed significant variation among isolates from pear and apple trees, between isolates from the same host species and, more interestingly, within isolates, supporting the existence of significant levels of variability within individual hosts, …
Genetic variability and evolutionary dynamics of tomato black ring virus population
Tomato black ring virus (TBRV) is an important pathogen infecting a wide range of plant species worldwide. Phylogenetic studies of TBRV have already been conducted, although limited by the use of short genomic regions or a reduced amount of isolates. In the present study, we carried out an exhaustive phylogenetic and population genetic analysis based on the coat protein gene (CP) sequence of 57 TBRV isolates originating from different host plants and European geographic regions (47 isolates from Poland, 8 from Lithuania, one from the UK, and one from Hungary). Moreover, the selective pressure acting on particular codons and coevolution of amino acid residues in the CP were analysed. The res…