Occurrence and Distribution of Actinidia Viruses in Shaanxi Province of China

Abstract

Kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) is an economically important fruit crop globally. China is the largest kiwifruit-growing country in the world, and Shaanxi Province is the major kiwifruit-growing region in China. A systematic survey detected various symptoms in kiwifruit plants grown in a commercial kiwifruit field in Shaanxi Province. Samples were collected from kiwifruit plants showing symptoms and used for virus detection by high-throughput sequencing. In addition to 10 known kiwifruit viruses, three new viruses were detected and tentatively named Actinidia yellowing ringspot virus (AYRSpV), Actinidia yellowing virus 1 (AcYV1), and Actinidia yellowing virus 2 (AcYV2). The genome sequences of the three new viruses and four known viruses were determined. Based on the demarcation criteria of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, AYRSpV might be a new member of the genus Ilarvirus in the family Bromoviridae, AcYV1 might be a new virus of the genus Waikavirus in the family Secoviridae, and AcYV2 might be a novel virus in the family Tombusviridae. Spherical viral particles were found in the samples infected with AYRSpV, AcYV1, and AcYV2 by transmission electron microscopy. Further analysis showed that all 13 viruses can infect both Actinidia deliciosa and A. chinensis but the incidences of these infections vary among different kiwifruit cultivars in different regions. These results provide valuable information for understanding the virome of kiwifruit in China.