Properties and detection of two cryptoviruses from pepper (Capsicum annuum)

Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) contains a range of endogenous dsRNA molecules resembling the genomes of cryptoviruses. In this work, we have completed the molecular characterization of Pepper cryptic virus 1 (PCV-1) from cv “Jalapeño M” and generated complete genomic sequences of another cryptovirus from cv “Hungarian Wax” designated Pepper cryptic virus 2 (PCV-2). The two viruses share limited identical amino acid content in both genomic segments and appear phylogenetically closer to cryptoviruses reported from other crops (i.e. Raphanus sativus cryptic virus 3, Black raspberry cryptic virus) than to each other. Two sets of virus-specific primers were successfully used in RT-PCR tests for the simultaneous and discriminative detection of these two viruses in pepper leaves and seeds. Both viruses were detected in several pepper cultivars tested, either as single or mixed infections.