High-throughput sequencing of virus-infected Cucurbita pepo samples revealed the presence of Zucchini shoestring virus in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Plant-infecting viruses remain a serious challenge towards achieving food security worldwide. Cucurbit virus surveys were conducted in Zimbabwe during the 2014 and 2015 growing seasons. Leaf samples displaying virus-like symptoms were collected and stored until analysis. Three baby marrow samples were subjected to next-generation sequencing and the data generated were analysed using genomics technologies. Zucchini shoestring virus (ZSSV), a cucurbit-infecting potyvirus previously described in South Africa was one of the viruses identified. The genomes of the three ZSSV isolates are described analysed in this note. Results The three ZSSV isolates had the same genome size of 10,297 bp excluding the polyA tail with a 43% GC content. The large open reading frame was found at positions 69 to 10,106 on the genome and encodes a 3345 amino acids long polyprotein which had the same cleavage site sequences as those described on the South African isolate except for the P1-pro site. Genome sequence comparisons of all the ZSSV isolates showed that the isolates F7-Art and S6-Prime had identical sequence across the entire genome while sharing 99.06% and 99.34% polyprotein nucleotide and amino acid sequence identities, respectively with the isolate S7-Prime.