High-throughput sequencing of complete genomes of ipomoviruses associated with an epidemic of cassava brown streak disease in the Comoros Archipelago

Using high-throughput sequencing of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), virion-associated nucleic acid (VANA), and double stranded RNAs (dsRNAs), we have determined the complete genome sequences of Comorian isolates of two ipomoviruses, cassava brown streak virus (CBSV) and a divergent isolate of Ugandan cassava brown streak virus (UCBSV-KM) representing a new strain of this virus. While the large ORF of CBSV shares the highest nucleotide sequence identity (95.9%) with a Tanzanian isolate of CBSV, the large UCBSV-KM ORF shares the highest nucleotide sequence identity (77.5%) with a Malawian isolate of UCBSV. This low value is near the species demarcation threshold for the family Potyviridae (<76%). Phylogenetic analysis confirms that UCBSV-KM represents a new lineage that is genetically distinct from the currently described UCBSV strains.