A novel monopartite dsRNA virus from rhododendron

A dsRNA molecule of 3.4 kbp was extracted from two great rhododendron samples from Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Sequencing of this molecule suggests that it represents the genome of an undescribed virus, for which the provisional name rhododendron virus A (RhVA) is proposed. In phylogenetic analyses, this virus clustered together with southern tomato virus and related viruses, forming a coherent and distinct clade among dsRNA viruses. RhVA likely belongs to a yet-to-be-established taxon of viruses with a non-segmented dsRNA genome.