Zambrana Echevarría, Cristina

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    Genetic diversity, incidence and occurence of Papaya ringspot virus in Puerto Rico: Influencing disease management and control strategies
    (2016) Zambrana Echevarría, Cristina; Siritunga, Dimuth; College of Arts and Sciences - Sciences; Montalvo Rodríguez, Rafael; Jenkins, David A.; Department of Biology; Curbelo, Jaime E.
    Papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) is the most serious and destructive virus that affects papaya worldwide curtailing its production. PRSV has significant negative effects on the plant’s development, fruit set, fruit morphology and sugar content. In an effort to influence a control strategy of PRSV in Puerto Rico, this study assessed the genetic diversity of Puerto Rican isolates using the Coat Protein gene (cp). Phylogenetic analysis of the cp was performed in order to study the relationship of the island’s PRSV isolates (PR-PRSV) with each other and with other isolates from the rest of the world. Sequence comparisons were performed in order to estimate the diversity and gene homology between PR-PRSV and other isolates. The conservation of important amino acid motifs was also assessed. The PR-PRSV population is genetically diverse (4.2% nucleotide, 5.4% amino acid) and is highly homologous with isolates from United States (USA) and Australia (AUS). Isolates from the South region form two separate subgroups from the rest of the island in the phylogenetic tree and the population is suggested to have a similar origin than isolates from USA and AUS. The Coat Protein amino acid sequence showed a conserved aphid transmission motif and a variable amino terminal region. In addition to the diversity of PRSV, the pathogen’s incidence was assessed, as well as the occurrence with a Generalized Linear Model. The virus was found to be highly incident and to occur at low elevations (0-200m). Results of the study of the epidemiology, evolution and relationship with other isolates influence the implementation of a disease management program and control strategies of PRSV, such as a transgenic PRSV-resistant papaya, in Puerto Rico.