Novel Putative Tymoviridae-like Virus Isolated from Culex Mosquitoes in Colombia

ABSTRACT: The family Tymoviridae comprises positive-sense RNA viruses, which mainly infect plants. Recently, a few Tymoviridae-like viruses have been found in mosquitoes, which feed on vertebrate sources. We describe a novel Tymoviridae-like virus, putatively named, Guachaca virus (GUAV), isolated from Culex pipiens and Culex quinquefasciatus species of mosquitoes and collected in the rural area of Santa Marta, Colombia. After a cytopathic effect was observed in C6/36 cells, RNA was extracted and processed through the NetoVIR next-generation sequencing protocol, and data were analyzed through the VirMAP pipeline. Molecular and phenotypic characterization of the GUAV was achieved using a 5'/3' RACE, transmission electron microscopy, amplification in vertebrate cells, and phylogenetic analysis. A cytopathic effect was observed in C6/36 cells three days post-infection. The GUAV genome was successfully assembled, and its polyadenylated 3' end was corroborated. GUAV shared only 54.9% amino acid identity with its closest relative, Ek Balam virus, and was grouped with the latter and other unclassified insect-associated tymoviruses in a phylogenetic analysis. GUAV is a new member of a family previously described as comprising plant-infecting viruses, which seem to infect and replicate in mosquitoes. The sugar- and blood-feeding behavior of the Culex spp., implies a sustained contact with plants and vertebrates and justifies further studies to unravel the ecological scenario for transmission.

• Autores: Navas Navas, María Cristina; Guzmán, Camila; Perdomo Balaguera, Erik; Sarmiento, Ladys; Torres Fernández, Orlando; Ruiz, Héctor Alejandro; Rosales Munar, Alicia; Peláez Carvajal, Dioselina; Laiton Donato, Katherine; Wong, Matthew C.; Junglen, Sandra; Ajami, Nadim J.; Parra Henao, Gabriel; Usme Ciro, José A.
• Tipo de recurso: Article of investigation
• Fecha de publicación: 2023
• Institución: Universidad de Antioquia
• Repositorio: Repositorio UdeA
• Idioma: eng
• OAI Identifier: oai:bibliotecadigital.udea.edu.co:10495/39591
• Acceso en línea: https://hdl.handle.net/10495/39591
• Palabra clave: Culex; Culicidae; Filogenia; Phylogeny; Tymoviridae; https://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/D003465; https://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/D009033; https://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/D010802; https://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/D046830
• Rights: openAccess
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/co/