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Imprint
Investigating legume virus ecology and diversity through metagenomics
Project
Project code: JKI-EP-08-2266
Contract period: 01.01.2016
- 31.12.2017
Purpose of research: Applied research
We propose to use this metagenomics approach to investigate the virus population dynamics as well as virus ecology using pea crops as model plants. Peas are important legumes for both New Zealand and Germany as they are used for both human consumption and animal fodder. The symbiosis of leguminous crops such as peas with symbiotic bacteria allow nitrogen fixation in the soil. Therefore, legumes are also commonly used inter-cropping plants. In particular in Germany, the Federal Government supports the increased use of legumes as laid out in their “protein strategy” (“Eiweißstrategie”) in order to reduce the import of legumes. However, as we have demonstrated in our previous collaboration, viral diseases can be unnoticed (such as the occurrence of red clover vein mosaic virus in New Zealand), especially in mixed infections of different viruses, if a targeted approach for known pathogens is used. In Germany, the occurrence of nanoviruses which had previously only been known from North African countries, the Middle East, Australia and Asia, was also demonstrated by chance only (Grigoras et al., 2010). Therefore, pea crops as well as neighboring plants with a focus on leguminous plants are an ideal model to investigate the virus community at different locations. The optimized dsRNA enrichment method will be used for the detection of RNA viruses at five different locations in the respective country. Although the dsRNA approach also allows the detection of DNA viruses such as nanoviruses, the same samples with be used for an enrichment method called rolling-circle amplification (RCA) as this method allows non-targeted amplification of circular DNA viruses that might occur in only low titre. The viral population dynamics will be investigated over a two-year-period in each country to account for genetic shifts in each selected area.
Section overview
Subjects
- Plant Breeding
- Specialised crops
- Genetic Resources
Framework programme
Funding programme
Excutive institution
Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics (JKI-EP)
