LEEK YELLOW STRIPE VIRUS ISOLATES FROM BRAZIL FORM A DISTINCT CLADE BASED ON THE P1 GENE

The complete genome sequence of a garlic isolate of Leek yellow stripe virus (LYSV) from Brazil (LYSV-MG) was determined and its phylogenetic relationships with other LYSV isolates from other parts of the world were inferred. The LYSV-MG genome consists of 10,341 nucleotides and encodes a polyprotein of 3,221 amino acids. Brazilian LYSV isolates are more closely related to S-type than to N-type isolates but do not have a deletion in the P1 gene. Partial nucleotide sequence analysis of the P1 gene revealed 97-99% identity among Brazilian isolates, and 51-64% identity between Brazilian isolates and isolates from other countries for which sequence information is available in GenBank. The Brazilian isolates formed a monophyletic group closest to the S-type isolates and one isolate from Okinawa (O-type). These data suggest that Brazilian LYSV isolates are derived from an ancestral source of the Okinawa and S-type isolates, prior to the occurrence of the P1 deletion and divergence of the S-type isolates.