A novel varicosavirus associated with Orychophragmus violaceus in China

Plant rhabdoviruses have garnered considerable attention due to their broad host range and significant agricultural threats. Despite their prevalence in various ecosystems, rhabdoviruses in non-crop species, which often serve as reservoirs for novel viral strains, remain understudied. Here, a novel plant rhabdovirus, Orychophragmus violaceus varicosavirus (OVVV), was identified in the ornamental plant Orychophragmus violaceus and characterized by high-through sequencing. OVVV has a bisegmented genome, with RNA1 consisting of 6,795 nucleotides (nt) and RNA2 consisting of 5,895 nt. The L protein encoded by RNA1 shares 36.4–67.2% amino acid sequence identity with those of known varicosaviruses. The four proteins encoded by RNA2 share 19.5–53.4% amino acid identity with the corresponding proteins of known varicosaviruses. Sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analysis indicated that OVVV is a novel RNA virus representing a new species within the genus Varicosavirus. This discovery not only expands the known host range of varicosaviruses but also offers new insights into the molecular evolution of this group of viruses.