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High-throughput sequencing (HTS) has been an important tool for the discovery of plant viruses and their surveillance. In 2015, several virus-like symptoms were observed in passion fruit (PF) plants in Bahia state, Brazil. Using HTS technology, bioinformatics tools, RT-PCR, and Sanger sequencing, we identified the cucurbit aphid-borne yellows virus (CABYV, Polerovirus, Solemoviridae) in co-infection with cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CABMV, Potyvirus, Potyviridae) in PF, in green manure, and spontaneous plants in several localities in Bahia. Complete genomes of CABYV-PF isolates were determined and analyzed with other CABYV isolates available in GenBank that have been identified in various countries. Phylogenetic analysis and pairwise identity comparison with CABYV isolates showed that CABYV-PFs are more closely related to French and Spanish isolates. Overall, analyses of all the CABYV genomes revealed that these could represent ten distinct species, and we thus proposed reclassifying these CABYV as isolates into ten species, tentatively named "Polerovirus curcubitaeprimum" to "Polerovirus curcubitaenonum", and "Polerovirus melo". CABYV-PF is a member of "Polerovirus curcubitaeprimum". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bean-associated cytorhabdovirus (BaCV) is a strain of Cytorhabdovirus caricae (genus Cytorhabdovirus, family Rhabdoviridae) identified in Brazil, in bean and soybean plants, in mixed infection with cowpea mild mottle virus (CPMMV, genus Carlavirus, family Betaflexiviridae). Ensuing the report of citrus-associated rhabdovirus (CiaRV — a citrus strain of Cytorhabdovirus caricae) infecting passion fruit in China, we speculated that BaCV, and possibly CPMMV, could be present in passion fruit crops in Brazil. This was tested by screening cultivated and wild Passiflora spp., and hybrid by RT-PCR and amplicon sequencing, which confirmed the presence of BaCV and CPMMV in several Passiflora spp. A total of 114 surveyed plants were collected in multiple locations from 2016 to 2021 and BaCV was identified in 4 of 19 cultivated P. edulis plants from a commercial field in Distrito Federal, Central Brazil. Moreover, while BaCV was detected in 4 of the 55 Passiflora accessions sampled at the Germplasm Bank "Flor da Paixão" (BAG-FP), CPMMV was identified in 14 of these 55 Passiflora spp. and hybrid accessions. This is the first record of BaCV in P. edulis in Brazil, and CPMMV and BaCV in other wild Passiflora species in the world. To investigate the potential mixed infection of BaCV and CPMMV-infected plants and other viruses previously identified infecting Passiflora spp. in Brazil, RT-PCR was conducted with specific primers for lettuce chlorosis virus (LCV, genus Crinivirus, family Closteroviridae) and cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus (CABMV, genus Potyvirus, family Potyviridae). Most of the inspected plants had a mixed infection with these viruses. Our results warrant further studies to evaluate these viruses' epidemiology, impacts, and interactions in the passion fruit crop. • First report of bean-associated cytorhabdovirus (BaCV) in Passiflora spp. • First report of cowpea mild mottle virus (CPMMV) in Passiflora spp. • Diverse cultivated and wild Passiflora spp. were infected by BaCV and CPMMV. • BaCV and CPMMV were identified along with a crinivirus and a potyvirus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil is one of the major passion fruit producers worldwide. Viral diseases are among the most important constraints for passion fruit production. Here we identify and characterize a new passion fruit infecting-virus belonging to the family Geminiviridae: passion fruit chlorotic mottle virus (PCMoV). PCMoV is a divergent geminivirus unlike previously characterized passion fruit-infecting geminiviruses that belonged to the genus Begomovirus. Among the presently known geminiviruses, it is most closely related to, and shares ~62% genome-wide identity with citrus chlorotic dwarf associated virus (CCDaV) and camelia chlorotic dwarf associated virus (CaCDaV). The 3743 nt PCMoV genome encodes a capsid protein (CP) and replication-associated protein (Rep) that respectively share 56 and 60% amino acid identity with those encoded by CaCDaV. The CPs of PCMoV, CCDaV, and CaCDaV cluster with those of begomovirus whereas their Reps with those of becurtoviruses. Hence, these viruses likely represent a lineage of recombinant begomo-like and becurto-like ancestral viruses. Furthermore, PCMoV, CCDaV, and CaCDaV genomes are ~12–30% larger than monopartite geminiviruses and this is primarily due to the encoded movement protein (MP; 891–921 nt) and this MP is most closely related to that encoded by the DNA-B component of bipartite begomoviruses. Hence, PCMoV, CCDaV, and CaCDaV lineage of viruses may represent molecules in an intermediary step in the evolution of bipartite begomoviruses (~5.3 kb) from monopartite geminiviruses (~2.7–3 kb). An infectious clone of PCMoV systemically infected Nicotiana benthamina, Arabidopsis thaliana, and Passiflora edulis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]