Genetic variation of turnip yellows virus in arable and vegetable brassica crops, perennial wild brassicas and aphid vectors collected from the plants

Abstract

Turnip yellows virus (TuYV; Polerovirus, Solemoviridae) infects and causes yield losses in a range of economically important crop species, particularly the Brassicaceae. It is persistently transmitted by several aphid species and control is difficult. Although the incidence and genetic diversity of TuYV has been extensively investigated in recent years, little is known about how the diversity within host plants relates to that in its vectors. Arable oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and vegetable brassica plants (Brassica oleracea), wild cabbage (B. oleracea) and aphids present on these plants were sampled in the field in three regions of the United Kingdom. High levels of TuYV (82-97%) were detected of plants in all three regions following enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. TuYV was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in Brevicoryne brassicae aphids collected from plants and TuYV sequences obtained. Two TuYV open reading frames, ORF0 and ORF3, were partially sequenced from fifteen plants and one aphid collected from each plant. Comparative analyses between TuYV sequences from host plants and B. brassicae collected from respective plants revealed differences between some ORF0 sequences, possibly indicating that at least two of the aphids might not have been carrying the same TuYV isolates as those present in their host plants. Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic analyses including published, the new TuYV sequences described above, 101 previously unpublished sequences of TuYV from oilseed rape in the UK and 13 also previously unpublished sequences of TuYV from oilseed rape in Europe and China, revealed three distinct major clades for ORF0 and one for ORF3, with some distinct sub-clades. Some clustering was related to geographic origin. Explanations for TuYV sequence differences between plants and the aphids present on respective plants and implications for the epidemiology and control of TuYV are discussed.