Pod pepper vein yellows virus, a new recombinant polerovirus infecting Capsicum frutescens in Yunnan province, China

Pepper vein yellows viruses (PeVYV) are phloem-restricted viruses in the genus Polerovirus , family Luteoviridae . Typical viral symptoms of PeVYV including interveinal yellowing of leaves and upward leaf curling were observed in pod pepper plants ( Capsicum frutescens ) growing in Wenshan city, Yunnan province, China. The complete genome sequence of a virus from a sample of these plants was determined by next-generation sequencing and RT-PCR. Pod pepper vein yellows virus (PoPeVYV) (MT188667) has a genome of 6015 nucleotides, and the characteristic genome organization of a member of the genus Polerovirus . In the 5′ half of its genome (encoding P0 to P4), PoPeVYV is most similar (93.1% nt identity) to PeVYV-3 ( Pepper vein yellows virus 3 ) (KP326573) but diverges greatly in the 3′-part encoding P5, where it is most similar (91.7% nt identity) to tobacco vein distorting virus (TVDV, EF529624) suggesting a recombinant origin. Recombination analysis predicted a single recombination event affecting nucleotide positions 4126 to 5192 nt, with PeVYV-3 as the major parent but with the region 4126–5192 nt derived from TVDV as the minor parent. A full-length clone of PoPeVYV was constructed and shown to be infectious in C. frutescens by RT-PCR and the presence of icosahedral viral particles.