Open AccessOccurrence of a novel strain of Moroccan watermelon mosaic virus infecting pumpkins in Kenya
Author(s) -
Naomi Nzilani Mumo,
Elijah Ateka,
Edward George Mamati,
Fredah Karambu Rimberia,
George O. Asudi,
Eunice Machuka,
Joyce Njuguna,
Francesca Stomeo,
Roger Pellé
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
plant disease
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.663
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 1943-7692
pISSN - 0191-2917
DOI - 10.1094/pdis-02-21-0359-re
Subject(s) - biology , cucurbita moschata , zucchini yellow mosaic virus , citrullus lanatus , cucumis , cucurbita pepo , sanger sequencing , citrullus , papaya ringspot virus , cucumber mosaic virus , cucurbitaceae , inoculation , phylogenetic tree , botany , potyvirus , plant virus , horticulture , virus , virology , dna sequencing , gene , genetics , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology
The Potyvirus Moroccan watermelon mosaic virus (MWMV) naturally infects and severely threatens production of cucurbits and papaya. In this study, we identified and characterized MWMV isolated from pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) intercropped with MWMV-infected papaya plants through next-generation sequencing (NGS) and Sanger sequencing approaches. Complete MWMV genome sequences were obtained from two pumpkin samples through NGS and validated using Sanger sequencing. The isolates shared 83.4 to 83.7% nucleotide (nt) and 92.3 to 95.1% amino acid (aa) sequence identities in the coat protein and 79.5 to 79.9% nt and 89.2 to 89.7% aa identities in the polyprotein with papaya isolates of MWMV. Phylogenetic analysis using complete polyprotein nt sequences revealed the clustering of both pumpkin isolates of MWMV with corresponding sequences of cucurbit isolates of the virus from other parts of Africa and the Mediterranean regions, distinct from a clade formed by papaya isolates. Through sap inoculation, a pumpkin isolate of MWMV was pathogenic on zucchini (Cucurbita pepo), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), and cucumber (Cucumis sativus) but not on papaya. Conversely, the papaya isolate of MWMV was nonpathogenic on pumpkin, watermelon, and cucumber, but it infected zucchini. The results suggest the occurrence of two strains of MWMV in Kenya having different biological characteristics associated with the host specificity. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .