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Carrot populations in France and Spain host a complex virome rich in previously uncharacterized viruses

Deborah Schönegger, Armelle Marais, Bisola Mercy Babalola, Chantal Faure, Marie Lefebvre, Laurence Svanella-Dumas, Sára Brázdová, Thierry Candresse. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0290108. Using a HTS approach, we analyzed the virome of 51 cultivated and wild carrot populations from France and central Spain. A rich virome comprising 45 viruses of which 25 are novel was identified. Most of the novel viruses showed preferential association with wild carrots, indicating the role of wild carrots as reservoir of viral diversity. The carrot virome proved rich in viruses involved in complex interactions such as poleroviruses, umbraviruses and associated satellites, which can be the basis for further investigations of virus-vector-host relationships

The carrot model consisting of cultivated (Daucus carota ssp. sativus) and wild carrots (D. carota ssp. carota), is particularly interesting due to the low genetic barrier to virus flow since both hosts belong to the same species. Using a highly purified double-stranded RNA-based HTS approach, we analyzed the virome of 45 carrot populations including cultivated, wild and off-type carrots in France and six populations from central Spain. Globally, we identified a very rich virome comprising 45 viruses of which 25 are novel or tentatively novel. Most of the identified novel viruses showed preferential associations with wild carrots, either occurring exclusively in wild populations or infecting only a small proportion of cultivated populations, indicating the role of wild carrots as reservoir of viral diversity. The carrot virome proved particularly rich in viruses involved in complex mutual interdependencies for aphid transmission such as poleroviruses, umbraviruses and associated satellites, which can be the basis for further investigations of synergistic or antagonistic virus-vector-host relationships



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