Incidence and molecular characterization of badnavírus in germplasm banks of yam in Brazil

ABSTRACT Badnaviruses (family Caulimoviridae) have semicircular dsDNA genomes encapsidated into bacilliform particles. Dioscorea bacilliform virus (DBV) is an important Badnavirus infecting several species of Dioscorea (yam) in the southern hemisphere. In this study, 235 yam leaf samples were collected from different germplasm banks maintained by “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture (ESALQ/USP), Federal University of Viçosa (UFV) and Federal University of Recôncavo da Bahia (UFRB). The average incidence of badnavirus in the evaluated samples was 75.3%. Molecular and phylogenetic analyses, carried out from 42 nucleotide sequences, of the badnavirus RT/RNaseH region, revealed the occurrence of Dioscorea bacilliform AL virus (DBALV) and Dioscorea bacilliform SN virus (DBSNV) in different yam species. So far, only DBALV has been reported in yams in Brazil, being restricted to the Northeast region. Therefore, this is the first report of DBSNV infecting yam crop in the country. In addition to the episomal species, endogenous sequences were detected, and the percentage of nucleotide identity varied between 89% and 100% with endogenous Dioscorea bacilliform virus (eDBV), belonging to groups 9 and 12. The obtained results corroborate the hypothesis that DBALV and DBSNV are present in yam propagating materials and are widely disseminated in Brazil.