First detection and complete genome characterization of a Cherry (C) strain isolate of plum pox virus from sour cherry (Prunus cerasus) in Germany

An isolate of plum pox virus (PPV) was detected in sour cherry (Prunus cerasus) in the Eastern region of Germany. Symptoms observed on infected sour cherry included leaf chlorosis, vein clearing, leaf abnormality and dark spots and rings on fruit. The complete genome sequence of this PPV isolate (GC27) was determined. The virus genome consists of 9795 nucleotides (nt), excluding the poly(A) tail at the 3′ terminus, with 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions (UTRs) of 146 and 217 nt, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on the complete genome, the nucleotide sequence of the coat protein and the deduced amino acid sequence of the PIPO protein indicate that PPV isolate GC27 is a member of the Cherry (C) strain of PPV. In pairwise comparisons, the complete genome (nt) of isolate GC27 is 98.2–99.7% identical to other C isolates; with much lower identities for isolates of other strains including approximately 83% identity for isolates of the strain Cherry Russian. This is the first detection of a strain C isolate of PPV in Germany.