Expanding the Repertoire of the Plant-Infecting Ophioviruses through Metatranscriptomics Data

BEJERMAN, NICOLAS; GARCIA, MARIA LAURA; DEBAT, HUMBERTO

Viruses

MDPI

Año: 2023 vol. 15

Ophioviruses (genus Ophiovirus, family Aspiviridae) are plant-infecting viruses with nonenveloped,filamentous, naked nucleocapsid virions. Members of the genus Ophiovirus have asegmented single-stranded negative-sense RNA genome (ca. 11.3–12.5 kb), encompassing threeor four linear segments. In total, these segments encode four to seven proteins in the sense andantisense orientation, both in the viral and complementary strands. The genus Ophiovirus includesseven species with viruses infecting both monocots and dicots, mostly trees, shrubs and someornamentals. From a genomic perspective, as of today, there are complete genomes available for onlyfour species. Here, by exploring large publicly available metatranscriptomics datasets, we reportthe identification and molecular characterization of 33 novel viruses with genetic and evolutionarycues of ophioviruses. Genetic distance and evolutionary insights suggest that all the detected virusescould correspond to members of novel species, which expand the current diversity of ophiovirusesca. 4.5-fold. The detected viruses increase the tentative host range of ophioviruses for the first time tomosses, liverwort and ferns. In addition, the viruses were linked to several Asteraceae, Orchidaceaeand Poaceae crops/ornamental plants. Phylogenetic analyses showed a novel clade of mosses,liverworts and fern ophioviruses, characterized by long branches, suggesting that there is still plentyof unsampled hidden diversity within the genus. This study represents a significant expansion ofthe genomics of ophioviruses, opening the door to future works on the molecular and evolutionarypeculiarity of this virus genus.