Phylogenetics of an Endornavirus in Various Cultivars of Cucumis Species and Subspecies

Endornaviruses are dsRNA viral members of a group known as cryptic viruses found throughout several kingdoms in Plantae, Fungi, and Chromista.  They are transmitted by seed and do not show any acute or chronic infectious, phenotypical symptoms.   We examined several host organisms and conducted comparative analysis of genomic sequences.  The host range will consists of cultivars of lettuce, buffalo gourd, sugar-beet, top-crop bean, cucumber, melon, gourd, and wild artichoke.  Virus identification was determined by reverse transcription, polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), using primers to amplify a region common to most endornaviruses.  Followed by DNA sequencing and gene comparisons using NCBI Blast software.  Studies examining this region of the endornavirus’s genome suggest conservation of sequence within cultivated melon (Cucumis melo) and closely related Cucumis species.  Additional studies are examining a second region of the genome.  This analysis is a small part of an evolving and ongoing project, which encourages and promotes our understanding of the origin, characterization, and evolutionary process associated with evolution and speciation of cryptic viruses.