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Bluner-, Cile-, and Higreviruses (Kitaviridae)

Abstract:

The genera Blunervirus, Cilevirus and Higrevirus are classified in the recently created family Kitaviridae. Kitaviruses possess positive-sense RNA segmented genomes: bi-, tri-, or quadripartite for cile-, higre- and blunerviruses, respectively. Based on phylogenetic reconstructions using different protein sequences, kitaviruses likely emerged from recombination and/or reassortment events of two important plant virus families: Virgaviridae and Bromoviridae. Furthermore, a small predicted structural protein, present in all kitaviruses and some unclassified invertebrate viruses, may suggest arthropod-infecting viruses as evolutionary ancestors of kitaviruses. Despite the genomic differences, kitaviruses share important epidemiological aspects such as symptomatology, lack of systemic movement and mite-mediated transmission.