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POSTERS: Late Breaking II

P-680 - Characterization of a new closterovirus infecting Ficus carica

Tuesday, August 5, 2025
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM HST
Location: Exhibit Hall 3
Abstract Text: Figs (Ficus carica L.) are economically important worldwide, valued for both fruit production and ornamental purposes. Due to the widespread use of vegetative propagation, diverse viruses have accumulated in fig germplasm, contributing to the spread of Fig Mosaic Disease (FMD). Characteristic symptoms of FMD include mosaic and chlorotic spots on the leaves, along with deformation of fruits and leaves. Fig mosaic virus (FMV) has been associated with the disease, though at least five closteroviruses have also been associated with FMD, with unclear roles. In this study, leaf samples displaying typical FMD symptoms were collected from fig trees in Ames, Iowa. Total RNA was extracted and subjected to high-throughput sequencing (HTS). Analysis of HTS data revealed contigs corresponding to FMV and a putative new member of the family Closteroviridae, tentatively named fig virus C (FiVC). Based on the HTS-derived sequence, we obtained the full-length genome using RT-PCR and RACE. The complete genome is approximately 17.8 kb long with open reading frames consistent with the genomic organization of closteroviruses. Sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analysis of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, heat shock protein 70-like protein, and capsid protein corroborates that FiVC is a new member of the genus Closterovirus, closely related to other fig-infecting viruses. The discovery of this novel closterovirus in symptomatic fig trees adds to the complexity of FMD etiology and underscores the need for further studies to clarify the roles of multiple viruses in disease development.