Insights into the RNA Virome of the Corn Leafhopper , a Major Emergent Threat of Maize in Latin America.

The maize leafhopper () is a significant threat to maize crops in tropical and subtropical regions, causing extensive economic losses. While its ecological interactions and control strategies are well studied, its associated viral diversity remains largely unexplored. Here, we employ high-throughput sequencing data mining to comprehensively characterize the RNA virome, revealing novel and diverse RNA viruses.

Alpha- and Betagymnorhavirus: two new genera of gymnosperm-infecting viruses in the family Rhabdoviridae, subfamily Betarhabdovirinae.

The family Rhabdoviridae includes viruses with a negative-sense RNA genome. This family is divided into four subfamilies, and until recently, the subfamily Betarhabdovirinae, encompassing all plant-associated rhabdoviruses, was further divided into six genera. Here, we report the creation of two new genera within the subfamily Betarhabdovirinae - Alphagymnorhavirus and Betagymnorhavirus - to include recently described gymnosperm-associated viruses.

Novel Tri-Segmented Rhabdoviruses: A Data Mining Expedition Unveils the Cryptic Diversity of Cytorhabdoviruses.

Cytorhabdoviruses (genus , family ) are plant-infecting viruses with enveloped, bacilliform virions. Established members of the genus have unsegmented single-stranded negative-sense RNA genomes (ca. 10-16 kb) which encode four to ten proteins.

A novel tamanavirus () of the European common frog () from the UK.

Flavivirids are small, enveloped, positive-sense RNA viruses from the family with genomes of ~9-13 kb. Metatranscriptomic analyses of metazoan organisms have revealed a diversity of flavivirus-like or flavivirid viral sequences in fish and marine invertebrate groups. However, no flavivirus-like virus has been identified in amphibians.

The Lambda Variant in Argentina: Analyzing the Evolution and Spread of SARS-CoV-2 Lineage C.37.

The second wave of COVID-19 occurred in South America in early 2021 and was mainly driven by Gamma and Lambda variants. In this study, we aimed to describe the emergence and local genomic diversity of the SARS-CoV-2 Lambda variant in Argentina, from its initial entry into the country until its detection ceased. Molecular surveillance was conducted on 9356 samples from Argentina between October 2020 and April 2022, and sequencing, phylogenetic, and phylogeographic analyses were performed.

Two novel flavi-like viruses shed light on the plant-infecting koshoviruses.

The family Flaviviridae is composed of viruses with a positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome and includes viruses that are important veterinary and human pathogens. Most members of the family are arthropod- and vertebrate-infecting viruses, but more recently, divergent flavi-like viruses have been identified in marine invertebrate and vertebrate hosts. The striking discovery of gentian Kobu-sho-associated virus (GKaV), along with a recent report of a related virus from carrot, has expanded the known host range of flavi-like viruses to plants, suggesting they could be grouped in a proposed genus tentatively named "Koshovirus".

Blood-feeding adaptations and virome assessment of the poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae guided by RNA-seq.

Dermanyssus gallinae is a blood-feeding mite that parasitises wild birds and farmed poultry. Its remarkably swift processing of blood, together with the capacity to blood-feed during most developmental stages, makes this mite a highly debilitating pest. To identify specific adaptations to digestion of a haemoglobin-rich diet, we constructed and compared transcriptomes from starved and blood-fed stages of the parasite and identified midgut-enriched transcripts.

Expanding the Repertoire of the Plant-Infecting Ophioviruses through Metatranscriptomics Data.

Ophioviruses (genus , family ) are plant-infecting viruses with non-enveloped, filamentous, naked nucleocapsid virions. Members of the genus have a segmented single-stranded negative-sense RNA genome (ca. 11.

Omicron Waves in Argentina: Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 Lineages BA.1, BA.2 and the Emerging BA.2.12.1 and BA.4/BA.5.

The COVID-19 pandemic has lately been driven by Omicron. This work aimed to study the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron lineages during the third and fourth waves of COVID-19 in Argentina. Molecular surveillance was performed on 3431 samples from Argentina, between EW44/2021 and EW31/2022.

A South American Mouse Morbillivirus Provides Insight into a Clade of Rodent-Borne Morbilliviruses.

Morbilliviruses are negative-sense single-stranded monosegmented RNA viruses in the family (order ). Morbilliviruses infect diverse mammals including humans, dogs, cats, small ruminants, seals, and cetaceans, which serve as natural hosts. Here, I report the identification and characterization of novel viruses detected in public RNAseq datasets of South American long-haired and olive field mice.

An Unwanted Association: The Threat to Papaya Crops by a Novel Potexvirus in Northwest Argentina.

An emerging virus isolated from papaya () crops in northwestern (NW) Argentina was sequenced and characterized using next-generation sequencing. The resulting genome is 6667-nt long and encodes five open reading frames in an arrangement typical of other potexviruses. This virus appears to be a novel member within the genus .

Unlocking the Hidden Genetic Diversity of Varicosaviruses, the Neglected Plant Rhabdoviruses.

The genus is one of six genera of plant-infecting rhabdoviruses. Varicosaviruses have non-enveloped, flexuous, rod-shaped virions and a negative-sense, single-stranded RNA genome. A distinguishing feature of varicosaviruses, which is shared with dichorhaviruses, is a bi-segmented genome.

Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Northwestern Argentina.

Studies about the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 lineages in different backgrounds such as naive populations are still scarce, especially from South America. This work aimed to study the introduction and diversification pattern of SARS-CoV-2 during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Northwestern Argentina (NWA) region and to analyze the evolutionary dynamics of the main lineages found. In this study, we analyzed a total of 260 SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome sequences from Argentina, belonging to the Provinces of Jujuy, Salta, and Tucumán, from March 31st, 2020, to May 22nd, 2021, which covered the full first wave and the early second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina.

An in silico analysis revealed a novel evolutionary lineage of putative mitoviruses.

Mitoviruses (family Mitoviridae) are small capsid-less RNA viruses that replicate in the mitochondria of fungi and plants. However, to date, the only authentic animal mitovirus infecting an insect was identified as Lutzomyia longipalpis mitovirus 1 (LulMV1). Public databases of transcriptomic studies from several animals may be a good source for identifying the often missed mitoviruses.

A glimpse into the DNA virome of the unique "living fossil" Welwitschia mirabilis.

Here, we report the identification and characterization of four novel DNA viruses from Welwitschia mirabilis transcriptomic and genomic datasets. Complete circular virus-like sequences with affinity to members of the Caulimoviridae and Geminiviridae families were detected and characterized from Welwitschia mirabilis genomic data. The two newly members of the Caulimoviridae family have been tentatively named as Welwitschia mirabilis virus 1 and 2 (WMV1-WMV2); whereas the two identified geminiviruses were named as Welwitschia mirabilis associated geminivirus A and B (WMaGVA-WMaGVB).

Recommendations for empowering early career researchers to improve research culture and practice.

Early career researchers (ECRs) are important stakeholders leading efforts to catalyze systemic change in research culture and practice. Here, we summarize the outputs from a virtual unconventional conference (unconference), which brought together 54 invited experts from 20 countries with extensive experience in ECR initiatives designed to improve the culture and practice of science. Together, we drafted 2 sets of recommendations for (1) ECRs directly involved in initiatives or activities to change research culture and practice; and (2) stakeholders who wish to support ECRs in these efforts.

Exploring the tymovirales landscape through metatranscriptomics data.

Tymovirales is an order of viruses with positive-sense RNA genomes that mostly infect plants, but also fungi and insects. The number of genome sequences of viruses that could fit this taxon has been growing in the last few years with the extensive use of high-throughput sequencing. Here, we report the discovery of 31 novel viral genome sequences associated with 27 different host plant species, which were hidden in public databases.

Cost-Effective Method to Perform SARS-CoV-2 Variant Surveillance: Detection of Alpha, Gamma, Lambda, Delta, Epsilon, and Zeta in Argentina.

SARS-CoV-2 variants with concerning characteristics have emerged since the end of 2020. Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 variants was performed on a total of 4,851 samples from the capital city and 10 provinces of Argentina, during 51 epidemiological weeks (EWs) that covered the end of the first wave and the ongoing second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country (EW 44/2020 to EW 41/2021). The surveillance strategy was mainly based on Sanger sequencing of a Spike coding region that allows the identification of signature mutations associated with variants.

Illuminating the Plant Rhabdovirus Landscape through Metatranscriptomics Data.

Rhabdoviruses infect a large number of plant species and cause significant crop diseases. They have a negative-sense, single-stranded unsegmented or bisegmented RNA genome. The number of plant-associated rhabdovirid sequences has grown in the last few years in concert with the extensive use of high-throughput sequencing platforms.

Archaea: A Gold Mine for Topoisomerase Diversity.

The control of DNA topology is a prerequisite for all the DNA transactions such as DNA replication, repair, recombination, and transcription. This global control is carried out by essential enzymes, named DNA-topoisomerases, that are mandatory for the genome stability. Since many decades, the Archaea provide a significant panel of new types of topoisomerases such as the reverse gyrase, the type IIB or the type IC.