Genetic variability of grapevine Pinot gris virus (GPGV) in an organically cultivated vineyard in Hungary

Abstract

Grapevine Pinot gris virus (GPGV) is a recently identified trichovirus infecting grapevines. Despite wide distribution, there is limited available information on epidemiology, transmission, and associated symptoms of grapevine leaf mottling and deformation. Occurrence and genetic diversity of GPGV variants were surveyed in an organically cultivated Hungarian vineyard that was planted between 1996 and 2014. Sequence analysis demonstrated the widespread presence and high variability of GPGV, and according to phylogenetic analyses, the Hungarian virus isolates were classified into three groups. Most of the identified variants clustered with the representative asymptomatic isolates, but all isolates from one grapevine cultivar grouped with representative isolates of clade B. Furthermore, one isolate clustered with representative isolates of clade C, and the identified clade C variant had previously undescribed polymorphisms.