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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Microbiol.

Sec. Virology

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1617239

The Diversity of Viral Community in Sogatella furcifera Revealed by Meta-transcriptomics

Provisionally accepted
Shanshan  ZhaoShanshan Zhao1*Jihan  WangJihan Wang1Yu  ZhuYu Zhu1Dongyuan  LiDongyuan Li1Xinyue  ZhengXinyue Zheng1Chunlian  ChaiChunlian Chai1Jie  ZhangJie Zhang2Jianguo  WuJianguo Wu1Qun  HuQun Hu1
  • 1Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
  • 2Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Metagenomic analyses has significantly advanced our understanding of viral evolution and their functions within organismal biology. In particular, exploring the virome of agricultural pests like the white-backed planthopper (WBPH) is essential for understanding their role as potential virus vectors and developing effective pest management strategies. To explore viral diversity, we collected white-backed planthoppers (WBPHs) from nine sites spanning four Chinese provinces (Liaoning, Fujian, Guangxi, and Yunnan) and performed metagenomic sequencing. Our analysis identified 11 novel viruses belonging to 7 viral families, encompassing positive-sense single-stranded RNA (+ssRNA), negative-sense single-stranded RNA (-ssRNA), and double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) viruses. Remarkably, eight of the southern Chinese sites, excluding one in Liaoning province, contained a previously undiscovered Sobelivirales virus. Using rapid-amplification of cDNA ends (RACE), we determined the complete genome sequence of this novel Sobelivirales virus. Subsequent analyses of its encoded proteins, potential structural domains, and phylogenetic relationships suggested that it may belong to a new genus within the Sobelivirales. Small RNA sequencing confirmed viral replication in WBPH by revealing that virus-derived small interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs) were primarily 21 and 22 nucleotides long. Our results have important implications for understanding virus carriage in WBPHs, evaluating their role as virus vectors, and informing the development of improved pest management strategies. Furthermore, this study highlights the power of metagenomics in uncovering novel viruses and expanding our knowledge of viral diversity.

Keywords: RNA viromes, Sogatella furcifera, Sobelivirales, vsiRNA, SoSNV1

Received: 24 Apr 2025; Accepted: 04 Jun 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Zhao, Wang, Zhu, Li, Zheng, Chai, Zhang, Wu and Hu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Shanshan Zhao, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China

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