Metagenomic identification of novel viruses of graminaceous species in North America. Zea mays

Maize-infecting viruses can cause significant yield losses annually throughout the world. Identification of novel viruses that have the potential to cause disease in maize is an important step to preserve food security and provide information needed for future crop protection efforts. Toward this goal, a metagenomic approach utilizing RNA-seq was employed to identify novel viruses with the potential to infect maize and closely related graminaceous species in North America. Leaf samples were collected from plants that did not appear healthy, were healthy, or were healthy but were infested with aphids. Total RNA was extracted from maize leaf samples collected individually. cDNA libraries were prepared and RNA sequencing was performed using next-generation sequencing (NGS) Illumina HiSeq3000 (Illumina, https://www.illumina.com/) to generate paired-end reads (HiSeq: 2 * 150 bp, 2 lanes). Bioinformatic analysis of the RNA-seq data identified four novel viruses that were not previously described as well as known viruses that have previously been found in maize.