Recent characterization of cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CABMV) in Bahia State, Brazil, suggests potential regional isolation

Abstract

Woodiness disease is the most important disorder of passion fruit worldwide. The causal agent in Brazil is the Cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CABMV), and despite the economic relevance of passion fruit for agriculture there have been recently very few studies about this virus in Brazil and worldwide. This work reveals the phylogenetic relationships of 10 newly identified CABMV isolates from Bahia State, the region where CABMV was first identified (in that time reported as PWV) in South America before its outbreak. The coat protein of 10 CABMV isolates (CABMV-Lns1 - CABMV-Lns10) from Livramento de Nossa Senhora Country, Bahia State, were sequenced and presented very close identity between themselves (nucleotide: 97 to 99%, amino acid: 95 to 100%). They are phylogenetically closely related to Brazilian CABMV, however forming an isolated cluster within the Brazilian clade. According to previous evidences, our data demonstrate that CABMV-Lns are more closely related to isolates from Southern rather than from Northern Africa. Other two isolates from Bahia State clustered separately from CABMV-Lns, but together with isolates from other Brazilian regions thus suggesting that CABMV-Lns are a strain likely restricted to Bahia. The characterization of new populations of CABMV enables greater resolution of the evolution of viruses causing woodiness disease in passion fruit vines. Our data shed light on an as yet unexplored population of CABMV in Brazil and contributes to the understanding of its evolutionary history.
 
Key words: Passion fruit, Livramento de Nossa Senhora, Bahia, phylogenetics, woodiness disease.