Unraveling the Phytovirus World of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Sabanadzovic S and Ghanem-Sabanadzovic NA. 2009. Unraveling the Phytovirus World of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Phytopathology. 99(6--Supplement):S112
ABSTRACT: Plant viruses described so far from non-agronomic environments, especially forest ecosystems, represent just a tiny portion of currently recognized plant viral species. Considering the extreme richness and diversity of plant species present in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, we started an investigation on plant viruses within the framework of an on-going All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) activities in the Park and supported by Discover Life in America Inc (DLIA). To this end, symptomatic and apparently healthy specimens of different mono- and dicots were collected and analyzed via dsRNA/random-primed reverse transcription/cloning/sequencing strategy for RNA viruses and applying DNA extraction/degenerate primer PCR for major taxa of DNA viruses (i.e. begomoviruses, badnaviruses, etc). We have detected and molecularly characterized dozens of undescribed viral species belonging to various current taxa (i.e. families Caulimoviridae, Tymoviridae, Luteoviridae, Partitiviridae; genus Umbravirus, etc), or to genera yet to be erected (i.e. Southern tomato virus-like viruses). In addition, a number of sequences resembling mycoviruses were also encountered during this work. The project is still continuing.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Sabanadzovic, Sead; Ghanem-Sabanadzovic, N
- Units
- GRSM
- Keywords
- All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory, APHN, Appalachian Highlands Network, ATBI, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, GRSM, GRSM-00421, SER, Southeast Region, vascular plants, viruses