Molecular characterization of a novel macluravirus from Curcuma alismatifolia identified by high-throughput sequencing.

The complete sequence of Curcuma alismatifolia bract virus (CurABV) from the city of Zhangzhou in Fujian Province, China, was determined by high-throughput sequencing. The viral genome consists of 8273 nucleotides (nt) and encodes a large polyprotein of 2634 amino acids (aa). In silico analysis predicted that this polyprotein is cleaved by two viral proteases into nine mature proteins. Sequence comparisons showed that CurABV shares 48.60-74.40% nt and 48.71-71.49% aa sequence identity with other macluraviruses in the coat protein (CP) gene. Phylogenetic analysis showed that CurABV clustered with representative members of the genus Macluravirus. These data suggest that CurABV is a new member of the genus Macluravirus. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the complete genome sequence of a macluravirus infecting C. alismatifolia.