Xiaohan Mo, Hongying Zheng, Mengying Hua, Kuangjie Zhao, Yuwen Lu, Lin Lin, Yueyan Yin, Enping Yuan, Yan Fei, Peng Jiejun, Hairu Chen, Chen Jianping, and Shaoxiang Wang
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 (94% 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 (88.8% nt identity) to tobacco vein distorting virus (TVDV, EF529624) suggesting a recombinant origin. Recombination analysis predicted a single recombination event at nucleotide positions 4126 to 5192 nt, with TVDV and PeVYV-3 as the minor and major parents, respectively. 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.