Untangling the taxonomy of dahlia mosaic virus

Abstract

In this brief note, we review the taxonomic history of dahlia mosaic virus (DMV) and related viruses. DMV is the only officially recognized caulimovirus known to infect dahlia (Dahlia variabilis) plants, although this virus appears to be relatively rare as a pathogen compared to a more recently described but unclassified caulimovirus called dahlia common mosaic virus (DCMV). We have undertaken a new set of analyses to test the hypothesis that DCMV represents a new caulimovirus species whose members infect dahlia, but we ultimately reject this hypothesis. A probable sequencing error was identified in the reference genome sequence of DMV, and consequently, we recommend that an alternative virus isolate be nominated as the exemplar for this species. In accordance with the new binomial nomenclatural system, it is proposed that the virus species be called “Caulimovirus dahliae”.

Identification and Genome Characterization of a Dahlia Common Mosaic Virus Isolate from China

“…The cluster of DCMV formed a clade together with DMV, mirabilis mosaic virus (MMV) and figwort mosaic virus (FMV), and DCMV was closest to DMV. The phylogenetic tree based on complete genomes in this work showed a similar topology with those based on ORF II, ORF III, ORF IV and ORF VI [4,9]. No putative recombination event was identified from the genome of the four DCMV isolates.…”

“…Due to the fact that dahlia is usually propagated asexually by vegetative tuberous roots in cultivation, viral infections become a significant threat to dahlias [3]. Dahlia mosaic disease is a widespread and detrimental disease in dahlia with a variety of symptoms such as distortion, mosaic and chlorosis of leaves and overall stunting of plant [4,5]. Three caulimoviruses including dahlia mosaic virus (DMV), dahlia common mosaic virus (DCMV) and DMV-D10 have been reported to be associated with dahlia mosaic disease [6][7][8].…”