Diversification of Rice Yellow Mottle Virus and Related Viruses Spans the History of Agriculture
Author Information
Author(s): Denis Fargette, Agnès Pinel-Galzi, Drissa Sérémé, Séverine Lacombe, Eugénie Hébrard, Oumar Traoré, Gnissa Konaté, Edward C. Holmes
Primary Institution: Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Montpellier, France
Hypothesis
What is the divergence time of plant viruses, particularly Rice Yellow Mottle Virus (RYMV), and how does it relate to agricultural history?
Conclusion
The diversification of RYMV and related viruses has spanned the history of agriculture, from the Neolithic age to the present.
Supporting Evidence
- RYMV diversified approximately 200 years ago in Africa.
- The divergence time between sobemoviruses and related viruses was estimated to be approximately 9,000 years.
- The TMRCA of closely related pairs of sobemoviruses was approximately 500 years.
- Plant virus diversification has spanned the history of agriculture from the Neolithic age to the present.
Takeaway
Scientists studied a virus that affects rice plants and found that it has been around for a long time, since before people started farming rice.
Methodology
Bayesian coalescent analysis of coat protein sequences from 253 isolates collected over 40 years.
Limitations
The study may underestimate the number of sobemoviruses in cultivated and wild plants due to the limited number of species analyzed.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
107 to 308 years
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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