Vol. 65 No. 2 (2026)
Articles

Identification and characterization of two isolates of Bougainvillea chlorotic vein banding virus (Badnavirus venabougainvilleae) in bougainvillea plants from Italy

PDF Suppl. Data
  • Amani BEN SLIMEN,
  • Reem YAZBECK,
  • Toufic ELBEAINO,
  • Michele DIGIARO
Amani BEN SLIMEN
International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM of Bari), Valenzano, Italy
Reem YAZBECK
International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM of Bari), Valenzano, Italy
Toufic ELBEAINO
International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM of Bari), Valenzano, Italy
Michele DIGIARO
International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM of Bari), Valenzano, Italy
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/phyto-17358

Published 2026-09-10

Keywords

  • BCVBV,
  • HTS,
  • Badnavirus,
  • genetic diversity,
  • Apulia

How to Cite

[1]
A. BEN SLIMEN, R. YAZBECK, T. ELBEAINO, and M. DIGIARO, “Identification and characterization of two isolates of Bougainvillea chlorotic vein banding virus (Badnavirus venabougainvilleae) in bougainvillea plants from Italy”, Phytopathol. Mediterr., vol. 65, no. 2, pp. 301–308, Sep. 2026.

Copyright (c) 2026 Amani BEN SLIMEN, Reem YAZBECK, Toufic ELBEAINO, Michele DIGIARO

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC

Abstract

Ornamental plants can be reservoirs of plant viruses, facilitating virus dissemination through international trade. In this bougainvillea study, 58 samples collected from six ornamental nurseries in Apulia (southern Italy) were screened for the presence of known bougainvillea-infecting viruses, using PCR assays. Among the viruses tested, only Bougainvillea chlorotic vein banding virus (BCVBV) was detected, occurring in five (8.6%) of the samples, whereas Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV), Clerodendron yellow mosaic virus (ClYMV), tomato yellow ring virus (TYRV), and cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) were not detected. High-throughput sequencing (HTS) of one BCVBV-positive sample (O54) enabled reconstruction of a complete viral genome, designated BCVBV Mini-Thai (GenBank accession no. PQ682517). A second HTS analysis of a pooled set of PCR-negative samples revealed a genetically distinct BCVBV isolate that was not detected by PCR using previously published primers. The complete genome of this isolate was reconstructed through contig assembly and gap-filling PCR using newly designed primers, and was named BCVBV Apulia 1 (PQ682518). The genome of Mini-Thai was 8,822 nucleotides long, and had high nucleotide (98.5%) and amino acid (98.7%) similarities with the Malaysian isolate BCVBV-UKM. In contrast, BCVBV Apulia 1 (PQ682518) was 8,694 nucleotides long and had greatest nucleotide similarity (81.6%) with the Brazilian isolate BCVBV UNB-01, with 84.0% amino acid similarity in the polyprotein. Both isolates had typical Badnavirus genome organization, with four open reading frames, and clustered in distinct phylogenetic clades. Further screening of the 58 collected samples using primers designed on the Apulia 1 isolate detected seven (12.1%) additional infected samples. A primer set targeting conserved genomic regions was also developed, enabling detection of both isolates. This report is the first detection of BCVBV in Italy and Europe, and also reveals the presence of a genetically divergent isolate of this virus.

PDF Suppl. Data

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

  1. Abarca-Vargas R., Petricevich V.L., 2018. Bougainvillea genus: A review on phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/9070927
  2. Abdel-Salam A.M., 2020. Research Article Serological and Molecular Characterization of a New Badnavirus Species in Bougainvillea glabra Plants in Egypt. International Journal of Virology 16: 8–15. https://doi.org/10.3923/ijv.2020.8-15
  3. Adams I.P., Miano D.W., Kinyua Z.M., Wangai A., Kimani E., Phiri N., … Boonham N., 2013. Use of next‐generation sequencing for the identification and characterization of Maize chlorotic mottle virus and Sugarcane mosaic virus causing maize lethal necrosis in Kenya. Plant Pathology 62(4): 741–749. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3059.2012.02690.x
  4. Akram A., Khan A.H., Mansoor S., Moffett P., Briddon R.W., Saeed M., 2020. Detection and molecular characterization of Clerodendron yellow mosaic virus infecting Volkameria inermis in Pakistan. Journal of Plant Pathology 102(3): 957–957. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42161-020-00529-y
  5. Alexandre M. A.V., Duarte L.M.L., Harakava R., 2016. Genetic diversity of Badnaviruses associated with Bougainvillea in Brazil. Journal of Phytopathology 164(2): 125–130. https://doi.org/10.1111/jph.12394
  6. Bankevich A., Nurk S., Antipov D., Gurevich A.A., Dvorkin M., Kulikov A.S., Lesin V.M., Nikolenko S.I., Pham S., Prjibelski A.D., 2012. SPAdes: a new genome assembly algorithm and its applications to single-cell sequencing. Journal of Computational Biology 19(5):455–477. https://doi.org/10.1089/cmb.2012.0021
  7. Baranwal V.K., Arya M., Singh J., 2010. First report of two distinct badnaviruses associated with Bougainvillea spectabilis in India. Journal of General Plant Pathology 76(3): 236–239. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10327-010-0234-5
  8. Bhat A. I., Hohn T., Selvarajan R., 2016. Badnaviruses: the current global scenario. Viruses 8(6): 177. https://doi.org/10.3390/v8060177
  9. Birithia R., Subramanian S., Villinger J., Muthomi J.W., Narla R.D., Pappu H.R., 2012. First report of Tomato yellow ring virus (Tospovirus, Bunyaviridae) infecting tomato in Kenya. Plant Disease 96(9): 1384–1384. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-05-12-0462-PDN
  10. Chagas C.M., Alexandre M.A.V., Duarte L.M.L., Rivas E.B., Tombolato A.F.C. 2001. Badnavirus-like particles associated with chlorotic vein-banding symptoms in Bougainvillea spectabilis. Virus Reviews Research 6: 153.
  11. Datta S. K., Jayanthi R., Janakiram T., 2021. Bougainvillea. In: (Datta S. K., Gupta Y. C. ed.). Floriculture and Ornamental Plants. Singapore, Springer Nature 1-34. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1554-5_2-1
  12. Doyle J., 1991. DNA protocols for plants. In: Molecular Techniques in Taxonomy. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, D., 283–293.
  13. Elliott D.R., Lebas B.S.M., Ochoa-Corona F.M., Tang J., Alexander B.J.R., 2009. Investigation of Impatiens necrotic spot virus outbreaks in New Zealand. Australasian Plant Pathology 38(5): 490–495. https://doi.org/10.1071/AP09031
  14. Fauquet C.M., Mayo M.A., Maniloff J., Desselberger U., Ball L.A. (ed.), 2005. Virus taxonomy. 8th Report of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. San Diego, Elsevier Academic Press.
  15. Foissac X., Svanella-Dumas L., Dulucq M.J., Gentit P., Candresse T., 2001. Polyvalent detection of fruit tree tricho, capillo and foveaviruses by nested RT-PCR using degenerated and inosine containing primers (PDO RT-PCR). Acta Horticulturae 550: 37–43.
  16. Ghotbi T., Shahraeen N., Winter S., 2005. Occurrence of tospoviruses in ornamental and weed species in Markazi and Tehran provinces in Iran. Plant Disease 89(4): 425–429. https://doi.org/10.1094/PD-89-0425
  17. International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), 2026. Virus Taxonomy: 2026 Report. Available online: https://ictv.global/report/chapter/caulimoviridae/caulimoviridae/badnavirus. Family Caulimoviridae, Genus Badnavirus (accessed in May 2026).
  18. Lin H.X., Rubio L., Smythe A., Jiminez M., Falk B.W., 2003. Genetic diversity and biological variation among California isolates of Cucumber mosaic virus. Journal of General Virology 84(1): 249–258. https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.18673-0
  19. Massart S., Olmos A., Jijakli M.H., Candresse T., 2014. Current impact and future directions of high throughput sequencing in plant virus diagnostics. Virus Research 188: 90–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virusres.2014.03.029
  20. Nehra C., Sahu A.K., Marwal A., Gaur R.K., 2014. Natural occurrence of Clerodendron yellow mosaic virus on Bougainvillea in India. New Disease Reports 30(19): 2044–0588.
  21. Rivas E.B., Duarte L.M., Alexandre M.A.V., Fernandes F., Harakava R., Chagas C.M., 2005. A new Badnavirus species detected in Bougainvillea in Brazil. Journal of General Plant Pathology 71(6): 438–440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10327-005-0227-y
  22. Saponari M., Boscia D., Nigro F., Martelli G., 2013. Identification of DNA Sequences Related to Xylella fastidiosa in Oleander, Almond and Olive Trees Exhibiting Leaf Scorch Symptoms in Apulia (southern Italy). Journal of Plant Pathology 95: 668.
  23. Shahmohammadi N., Dizadji A., Habibi M.K., Nateqi M., 2015. First report of Cucumber mosaic virus infecting Bougainvillea spectabilis, Coleus blumei, Kalanchoe blossfeldiana and Zinnia elegans in Iran. Journal of Plant Pathology 97(2): 394–394.
  24. Shahraeen N., Ghotbi T., Mehraban A.H., 2002. Occurrence of Impatiens necrotic spot virus in ornamentals in Mahallat and Tehran provinces in Iran. Plant Disease 86(6): 694–694. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS.2002.86.6.694A
  25. Tsai C.H., Su H.J., Wu M.L., Feng Y.C., Hung T. H., 2008. Identification and detection of Bougainvillea spectabilis chlorotic vein‐banding virus in different bougainvillea cultivars in Taiwan. Annals of Applied Biology 153(2), 187–193. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7348.2008.00251.x
  26. Yamashita S., Ferreira P.T.O., Figueiredo D.V., Brioso P.S.T., Kitajima E.W., 2004. Occurrence of badnavirus in Bougainvillea in Brazil. Summa Phytopathology 30: 68.
  27. Yusop M.S.M., Ersoy R., Akbar M.A., Saad M.F.M., Goh H.H., Baharum S.N., Bunawan H., 2019. First report of Bougainvillea chlorotic vein-banding virus causing chlorosis and vein banding of Bougainvillea spectabilis in Malaysia. Plant Disease 103(11): 2974. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-02-19-0292-PDN

Most read articles by the same author(s)

1 2 > >>