Emaravirus A Novel Genus of Multipartite, Negative Strand RNA Plant Viruses.docVIP

Viruses 2012, 4, 1515-1536; doi:10.3390/v4091515 OPEN ACCESS viruses ISSN 1999-4915 /journal/viruses Review Emaravirus: A Novel Genus of Multipartite, Negative Strand RNA Plant Viruses Nicole Mielke-Ehret and Hans-Peter Mühlbach * Biocentre Klein Flottbek, University of Hamburg, Ohnhorststrasse 18, Hamburg 22609, Germany; E-Mail: nicole_mielke@ * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: muehlbach@botanik.uni-hamburg.de; hpmuehlbach@; Tel./Fax: +49-40-42816-518. Received: 29 July 2012; in revised form: 22 August 2012 / Accepted: 22 August 2012 / Published: 12 September 2012 Abstract: Ringspot symptoms in European mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia L.), fig mosaic, rose rosette, raspberry leaf blotch, pigeonpea sterility mosaic (Cajanus cajan) and High Plains disease of maize and wheat were found to be associated with viruses that share several characteristics. They all have single-stranded multipartite RNA genomes of negative orientation. In some cases, double membrane-bound virus-like particles of 80 to 200 nm in diameter were found in infected tissue. Furthermore, at least five of these viruses were shown to be vectored by eriophyid mites. Sequences of European mountain ash ringspot-associated virus (EMARaV), Fig mosaic virus (FMV), rose rosette virus (RRV), raspberry leaf blotch virus (RLBV), pigeonpea sterility mosaic virus and High Plains virus strongly support their potential phylogenetic relationship. Therefore, after characterization of EMARaV, the novel genus Emaravirus was established, and FMV was the second virus species assigned to this genus. The recently sequenced RRV and RLBV are supposed to be additional members of this new group of plant RNA viruses. Keywords: European mountain ash ringspot-associated virus; Fig mosaic virus; rose rosette virus; raspberry leaf blotch virus; pigeonpea sterility mosaic virus; High Plains virus  Viruses 2012, 4 1516 1. Introduction I