A new picorna-like virus identified in populations of the potato psyllid Bactericera cockerelli.

The potato/tomato psyllid Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae) is a pest of Solanaceae plants and a vector of the pathogenic bacterium ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum’, which is associated with zebra chip disease in potato. This disease is controlled through insecticide treatments, and more environmentally friendly management options are desirable. The objective of this study was to identify viruses present in potato psyllid populations that might be used as biocontrol agents for this insect pest. A new picorna-like virus, tentatively named “Bactericera cockerelli picorna-like virus” (BcPLV), was discovered in B. cockerelli populations maintained in greenhouses, through the use of high-throughput sequencing data and subsequent confirmation by RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing. BcPLV has a positive-sense 9,939-nt RNA genome encoding a single 2,947-aa polyprotein and is related to the Diaphorina citri picorna-like virus (DcPLV) found in Asian citrus psyllid Diaphorina citri populations. Based on their genome organization and the phylogeny of their RNA-dependent RNA polymerase domains, BcPLV and DcPLV together are proposed to comprise a new genus, provisionally named "Psylloidivirus", within the family Iflaviridae.