A novel high-throughput sequencing approach reveals the presence of a new virus infecting Rosa: rosa ilarvirus-1 (RIV-1)

Roses are one of the most valuable ornamental flowering shrubs grown worldwide. Despite the widespread of rose viruses and their impact on cultivation, they have not been studied in detail in the United Kingdom (UK) since the 1980's. As part of a survey of rose viruses entering the UK, 35 samples were collected at Heathrow Airport (London, UK) and were tested by RT-qPCR for different common rose viruses. Of the 35 samples tested using RT-qPCR for prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV; genus Ilarvirus), 10 were positive. Confirmatory testing was performed using RT-PCR with both PNRSV-specific and ilarvirus-generic primers, and diverse results were obtained: One sample was exclusively positive when using the ilarvirus-generic primers, and subsequent sequencing of the RT-PCR product revealed homology to other ilarviruses but not PNRSV. Further work to characterise the virus was performed using high throughput sequencing, both the MinION Flongle and Illumina MiSeq. The sequencing confirmed the presence of a new virus within group 2 of the genus Ilarvirus and we propose the name rosa ilarvirus-1 (RIV-1). Here, we describe the identification of a novel virus using the low-cost Flongle flow cell and discuss its potential as a front-line diagnostic tool.

Automated summary

This study investigated rose viruses in the UK, specifically focusing on samples collected at Heathrow Airport. Through various molecular techniques, a novel virus named rosa ilarvirus-1 (RIV-1) was identified in 10 out of 35 samples, belonging to group 2 of the Ilarvirus genus. The study highlights the potential of low-cost sequencing methods as a front-line diagnostic tool.