Browsing by Author "Read, David"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4

Characterization and detection of maize-associated pteridovirus (MaPV), infecting maize (Zea mays) in the Arusha region of Tanzania
(Springer Nature, 2019-03-01) Read, David; Featherston, Jonathan; Rees, David; Thompson, Genevieve; Roberts, Ronel; Flett, Bradley; Mashingaidze, Kingstone; Pietersen, Gerhard; Kiula, Barnabas; Kullaya, Alois; Mbega, Ernest
Maize lethal necrosis disease (MLND) is currently threatening maize production in a large area of East Africa. Synergistic infections of Maize chlorotic mottle virus (MCMV) and members of the Potyviridae family are known to elicit MLND. Metaviromics studies of plant viruses have allowed for the discovery of novel viral diversity, with a number of these viruses having recently been shown to co-occur with MCMV and Potyviruses. However, their contribution to the expression of disease symptoms still requires extensive research. In a survey for viruses associated with maize in Tanzania, 35 samples were sequenced using an RNA-tag-seq metaviromics approach. Bioinformatic analysis of assembled reads yielded two contigs (5.8 and 2.7 kbp) that shared sequence homology with RNA1 and RNA2 of the dsRNA Japanese holly fern mottle virus (JHFMoV) (genus: Pteridovirus) from a single sample collected in the Arusha region. RNA1 encodes for a polyprotein product containing putative viral methyltransferase, helicase and polymerase domains. RNA2 contains three open reading frames (ORFs), one of which encodes for a putative movement protein, while the remaining two encode for putative products with no known function. The tentative name Maize-associated pteridovirus (MaPV) has been proposed for the virus in this study.
Diversity and distribution of Maize-associated totivirus strains from Tanzania.
(Springer, 2019-06-01) Read, David; Featherston, Jonathan; Rees, David; Thompson, Genevieve; Roberts, Ronel; Flett, Bradley; Mashingaidze, Kingstone; Pietersen, Gerhard; Kiula, Barnabas; Kullaya, Alois; Mbega, Ernest
Typically associated with fungal species, members of the viral family Totiviridae have recently been shown to be associated with plants, including important crop species, such as Carica papaya (papaya) and Zea mays (maize). Maize-associated totivirus (MATV) was first described in China and more recently in Ecuador, where it has been found to co-occur with other viruses known to elicit maize lethal necrosis disease (MLND). In a survey for maize-associated viruses, 35 samples were selected for Illumina HiSeq sequencing, from the Tanzanian maize producing regions of Mara, Arusha, Manyara, Kilimanjaro, Morogoro and Pwani. Libraries were prepared using an RNA-tag-seq methodology. Taxonomic classification of the resulting datasets showed that 6 of the 35 samples from the regions of Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Morogoro and Mara, contained reads that were assigned to MATV reference sequences. This was confirmed with PCR and Sanger sequencing. Read assembly of the six MATV-associated datasets yielded partial MATV genomes, two of which were selected for further characterization, using RACE. This yielded two full-length MATV genomes, one of which is divergent from other available MATV genomes.
Molecular characterization of Morogoro maize-associated virus, a nucleorhabdovirus detected in maize (Zea mays) in Tanzania
(Springer Nature, 2019-03-21) Read, David; Featherston, Jonathan; Rees, David; Thompson, Genevieve; Roberts, Ronel; Flett, Bradley; Mashingaidze, Kingstone; Pietersen, Gerhard; Kiula, Barnabas; Kullaya, Alois; Mbega, Ernest
RNAtag-seq of maize samples collected in Tanzania revealed the presence of a previously undescribed nucleorhabdovirus, tentatively named “Morogoro maize-associated virus” (MMaV), in three samples. The MMaV genome is 12,185-12,187 nucleotides long and shares a 69-70% nucleotide sequence identity with taro vein chlorosis virus. Annotation of the genomes showed a typical nucleorhabdovirus gene organization. PCR was unable to detect the same virus in the remaining 35 samples collected in the region.
Molecular characterization of Morogoro maize-associated virus, a nucleorhabdovirus detected in maize (Zea mays) in Tanzania.
(Springer Vienna, 2019-06-01) Read, David; Featherston, Jonathan; Rees, David; Thompson, Genevieve; Roberts, Ronel; Flett, Bradley; Mashingaidze, Kingstone; Pietersen, Gerhard; Kiula, Barnabas; Kullaya, Alois; Mbega, Ernest
RNAtag-seq of maize samples collected in Tanzania revealed the presence of a previously undescribed nucleorhabdovirus, tentatively named "Morogoro maize-associated virus" (MMaV), in three samples. The MMaV genome is 12,185-12,187 nucleotides long and shares a 69-70% nucleotide sequence identity with taro vein chlorosis virus. Annotation of the genomes showed a typical nucleorhabdovirus gene organization. PCR was unable to detect the same virus in the remaining 35 samples collected in the region.