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Dating the origins of the maize-adapted strain of maize streak virus, MSV-A

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Harkins, Gordon W., Martin, Darren P., Duffy, Siobain, Monjane, Aderito L., Shepherd, Dionne N., Windram, Oliver P., Owor, Betty E., Donaldson, Lara, van Antwerpen, Tania, Sayed, Rizwan A., Flett, Bradley, Ramusi, Moses, Rybicki, Edward P., Peterschmitt, Michel and Varsani, Arvind. (2009) Dating the origins of the maize-adapted strain of maize streak virus, MSV-A. Journal of General Virology, Vol.90 (Part 12). pp. 3066-3074. ISSN 0022-1317

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.015537-0

Abstract

Maize streak virus (MSV), which causes maize streak disease (MSD), is one of the most serious biotic threats to African food security. Here, we use whole MSV genomes sampled over 30 years to estimate the dates of key evolutionary events in the 500 year association of MSV and maize. The substitution rates implied by our analyses agree closely with those estimated previously in controlled MSV evolution experiments, and we use them to infer the date when the maize-adapted strain, MSV-A, was generated by recombination between two grass-adapted MSV strains. Our results indicate that this recombination event occurred in the mid-1800s, similar to 20 years before the first credible reports of MSD in South Africa and centuries after the introduction of maize to the continent in the early 1500s. This suggests a causal link between MSV recombination and the emergence of MSV-A as a serious pathogen of maize.

Item Type:

Journal Article

Subjects:

T Technology > TP Chemical technology
Q Science > QR Microbiology > QR355 Virology

Divisions:

Faculty of Science > Centre for Systems Biology

Journal or Publication Title:

Journal of General Virology

Publisher:

Society for General Microbiology

ISSN:

0022-1317