Authors: Travis Christensen, Geoff Zahn, Alma Laney
Mentors: Alma Laney
Insitution: Utah Valley University
In July 2022, green cabbage plants (Brassica oleracea) were observed with severe viral symptoms in a local community garden in Utah County. These plants were observed to be covered with cabbage aphids (Brevicoryne brassicae). Symptoms observed on the cabbage plants included yellowing, necrotic lesions, and brittle necrosis of the leaves. These symptoms have been found to be transmissible by the cabbage aphid to broccoli, cabbage, and kale, although symptoms are delayed in kale. Work is being done to find other transmissible plants within the brassica family. Sequencing of RNA yielded no results, however, amplification of viral DNA via rolling circle amplification (RCA) has yielded positive results. A sample obtained through maintenance of the virus and cabbage aphid is currently being subjected to RNAseq using the NovaSeq Illumina platform. Through several virological methods we are able to conclude the presence of a putative geminivirus transmissible through cabbage aphid in our affected plants. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an aphid-transmissible DNA virus of brassicas in Utah. Further work is being done to further identify, classify, and build the genome of this specific virus using Illumina sequencing.