Pedro Luis Ramos-González

• PhD
• PostDoc Position at Biological Institute

Kitaviridae is a family of plant-infecting viruses that have multiple positive-sense, single-stranded RNA genomic segments. Kitaviruses are assigned into the genera Cilevirus, Higrevirus, and Blunervirus, mainly on the basis of the diversity of their genomic organization. Cell-to-cell movement of most kitaviruses is provided by the 30K family of pr...

An increasing number of plant species have been recognized or considered likely reservoirs of viruses transmitted by Brevipalpus mites. A tiny fraction of these viruses, primarily those causing severe economic burden to prominent crops, have been fully characterized. In this study, based on high-throughput sequencing, transmission electron microsco...

The genus Cilevirus groups enveloped single-stranded (+) RNA virus members of the family Kitaviridae, order Martellivirales. Proteins P15, scarcely conserved polypeptides encoded by cileviruses, have no apparent homologs in public databases. Accordingly, the open reading frames (ORFs) p15, located at the 5′-end of the viral RNA2 molecules, are cons...

Citrus leprosis virus C (CiLV-C, genus Cilevirus, family Kitaviridae) is an atypical virus that does not spread systemically in its plant hosts. Upon its inoculation by Brevipalpus mites, only localized lesions occur, and the infection remains limited to cells around mite feeding sites. Here, we aimed to gain insights into the putative causes of vi...

Despite the importance of viral strains/variants as agents of emerging diseases, genetic and evolutionary processes affecting their ecology are not fully understood. To get insight into this topic, we assessed the population and spatial dynamic parameters of citrus leprosis virus C (CiLV-C, genus Cilevirus, family Kitaviridae). CiLV-C is the etiolo...

Blunerviruses, family Kitaviridae, infect and cause diseases of important crop plants including tomato, tea, and blueberry. Despite the economic importance of blunerviruses, their epidemiology and the mechanism underlying plant-to-plant transmission are largely unknown. In 2006 the blunervirus blueberry necrotic ring blotch virus (BNRBV, Blunerviru...

In 2024, a tobamovirus was found in a symptomless prickly pear (Opuntia leucotricha) plant in Brazil. Transmission electron microscopy examinations revealed tobamovirus-like particles ca. 300 nm long in negatively stained cladode's extracts from an asymptomatic O. leucotricha plant. High-throughput sequencing resulted in a 6374 nucleotide contig th...

This collaborative work by over 180 researchers from 40+ countries addresses the challenges posed by "phantom agents"-putative patho-genic agents named in literature without supporting data on their existence. Those agents remain on regulatory lists, creating barriers in trade and plant certification. Historically identified based solely on symptom...

An isolate of the tobamovirus tobacco mild green mosaic virus (TMGMV), Tobamovirus mititessellati, was found naturally infecting petunia (Petunia × hybrida) cv. Pinstripe, causing reduced leaf size, mottling, and color breaking of flowers, in an experimental field at Piracicaba, São Paulo state, Brazil. TMGMV was identified by virion morphology, cy...

Pereskia aculeata Miller is a climbing cactus, native to native to tropical areas of the Americas, whose leaves are used in cooking and folk medicine. Known as “Barbados gooseberry”, “leaf cactus” and “ora-pro-nóbis” (OPN), it is considered an unconventional food plant, valued for its high protein and mineral content, offering sustainable healthy f...

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Citrus leprosis (CL) severely threatens citrus production, particularly in Brazil, where it has inflicted significant economic losses. This disease is caused by a viral complex transmitted by mites of the genus Brevipalpus, known as flat mites or false spider mites. CL symptoms include chlorotic or necrotic lesions on leaves, stems, and fruits, oft...

Citrus leprosis is the most important viral disease affecting citrus. The disease is caused predominantly by CiLV-C and is transmitted by Brevipalpus yothersi Baker mites. This study brings some insight into the colonization of B. yothersi in citrus [(Citrus × sinensis (L.) Osbeck (Rutaceae)] previously infested by viruliferous or non-viruliferous...

Impatiens walleriana was introduced into Brazil and is now widely cultivated as an ornamental plant. Impatiens plants from a public garden showing leaf mosaic and colour break symptoms were submitted to total RNA extraction and high throughput sequencing. Identity of 99% with Amaranthus leaf mottle virus (AmLMV, Potyvirus) was observed. This is the...

Two novel members of the subfamily Betarhabdovirinae, family Rhabdoviridae, were identified in Brazil. Overall, their genomes have the typical organization 3′-N-P-P3-M-G-L-5′ observed in mono-segmented plant-infecting rhabdoviruses. In aristolochia-associated cytorhabdovirus (AaCV), found in the liana aristolochia (Aristolochia gibertii Hook), an a...

Two novel members of the subfamily Betarhabdovirinae, family Rhabdoviridae, were identified in Brazil. Overall, their genomes have the typical organization 3’-N-P-P3-M-G-L-5’ observed in mono-segmented plant-infecting rhabdoviruses. In aristolochia-associated cytorhabdovirus (AaCV), found in the liana aristolochia (Aristolochia gibertii Hook), an a...

Viruses with split genomes are classified as being either segmented or multipartite based on whether their genomic segments occur within a single virion or across different virions. Despite variations in number and sequence during evolution, the genomic segments of many viruses are conserved within the untranslated regions (UTRs). In this study, we...

In April 2023, following the annual International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) ratification vote on newly proposed taxa, the phylum Negarnaviricota was amended and emended. The phylum was expanded by one new family, 14 new genera, and 140 new species. Two genera and 538 species were renamed. One species was moved, and four were abolished...

Tomato fruit blotch virus (ToFBV) is a blunervirus that causes blotches on mature tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L.) fruits in Italy and Australia in 2020, and was newly detected in Brazil. A cytological study on pericarp tissues from the blotched areas of infected fruits collected in Brasília, Brazil, revealed characteristic cell alterations. Small...

Citrus leprosis (CL) is the main viral disease affecting the Brazilian citriculture. Sweet orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) trees affected by CL were identified in small orchards in Southern Brazil. Rod-like particles of 40 × 100 nm and electron lucent viroplasm were observed in the nucleus of infected cells in symptomatic tissues. RNA extracts f...

Citrus leprosis virus C (CiLV-C) causes citrus leprosis, a re-emergent viral disease affecting citrus production in Latin America. Here, we developed two TaqMan RT-qPCR assays to detect and quantify CiLV-C lineage SJP, prevalent in the Brazilian citrus belt and the world’s main sweet orange production area. Assays targeted sequences within the gene...

Brevipalpus-transmitted viruses (BTVs) cause economically important diseases such as citrus leprosis, widespread in Latin America, and coffee ringspot, found mainly in Brazil. One BTV, the orchid fleck virus, has a worldwide distribution infecting orchids.

In March 2022, following the annual International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) ratification vote on newly proposed taxa, the phylum Negarnaviricota was amended and emended. The phylum was expanded by two new families (bunyaviral Discoviridae and Tulasviridae), 41 new genera, and 98 new species. Three hundred forty-nine species were renam...

The family Rhabdoviridae comprises viruses with negative-sense (−) RNA genomes of 10–16 kb. Virions are typically enveloped with bullet-shaped or bacilliform morphology but can also be non-enveloped filaments. Rhabdoviruses infect plants or animals, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians or fish, as well as arthropods, which serve as single...

Plant viruses transmitted by mites of the genus Brevipalpus are members of the genera Cilevirus, family Kitaviridae, or Dichorhavirus, family Rhabdoviridae. They produce non-systemic infections that typically display necrotic and/or chlorotic lesions around the inoculation loci. The cilevirus citrus leprosis virus C (CiLV-C) causes citrus leprosis,...

Carlaviruses are plant‐infecting viruses with flexuous filamentous particles of ≈650 nm in length and a positive single‐stranded hexacistronic RNA molecule as the genome. In this study, we analyzed fourteen samples of brassicas plants, reportedly affected by carlaviruses, that were collected in distant and edaphoclimatic distinct regions in Brazil....

Viruses with split genomes are categorized as being either segmented or multipartite according to whether their genomic segments occur in single or different virions. Some complexity will exist, in that inherited “core” vital segments viruses may renew the others once host and environmental alterations keep driving viral evolution. Despite this unc...

The genus Cilevirus groups enveloped single-stranded (+) RNA virus members of the family Kitaviridae, order Martellivirales. Proteins P15, scarcely conserved polypeptides encoded by cileviruses, have no apparent homologs in public databases. Accordingly, the open reading frames (ORFs) p15, located at the 5-end of the viral RNA2 molecules, are consi...

The genus Cilevirus groups enveloped single-stranded (+) RNA virus members of the family Kitaviridae, order Martellivirales. Proteins P15, scarcely conserved polypeptides encoded by cileviruses, have no apparent homologs in public databases. Accordingly, the open reading frames (ORFs) p15, located at the 5-end of the viral RNA2 molecules, are consi...

Plant viruses can be effectively transmitted by phytophagous mites. Many species of mites, mainly eriophyids and tenuipalpids, induce symptoms in infested plants that may be mistaken for viral diseases or may hide infections produced by unidentified putative viruses. The virus-mite interplay and the multitrophic interactions with their host plants...

For the first time, an isolate of the dichorhavirus orchid fleck virus (OFV, family Rhabdoviridae) was found infecting an orchid plant in Mexico. The infected sample of Epidendrum veroscriptum was collected in a nursery in Lagunillas, municipality of Zihuateutla, Edo. Puebla. Mites gathered on this plant were analyzed by light and scanning electron...

p>In March 2020, following the annual International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) ratification vote on newly proposed taxa, the phylum Negarnaviricota was amended and emended. At the genus rank, 20 new genera were added, two were deleted, one was moved, and three were renamed. At the species rank, 160 species were added, four were deleted...

Morphological, biological, serological, and molecular tests underpin the description of costus stripe mosaic virus (CoSMV) as a new member of the genus Potyvirus, family Potyviridae. Found affecting the native ornamental Costus spiralis in Brazil, the pathogen showed a severely restricted natural and experimental host range. Excluding the poly(A) t...

A brief review is presented on the diseases caused by Brevipalpus mites-transmitted viruses (BTV), their symptomatology, geographical distribution, and economic importance; the diversity of BTV; the biology and systematics of Brevipalpus mites, and the nature of the BTV-vector relationships.

Using a high-throughput sequencing approach, we identified four genomoviruses (family Genomoviridae) associated with a sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) plant collected in Tunisia. The ssDNA genomes of these genomoviruses, which were amplified, cloned and Sanger sequenced, range in size from 2156 to 2191 nt. Three of these viruses share > 99% full-gen...

The expression of recombinant proteins in plants is a valuable alternative to bioreactors using mammalian cell systems. Ease of scaling, and their inability to host human pathogens, enhance the use of plants to generate complex therapeutic products such as monoclonal antibodies. However, stably transformed plants expressing antibodies normally have...

Passion fruit green spot and passion fruit sudden death are two reportedly distinct viral diseases that recurrently affect passion fruit (Passiflora spp.) groves in Brazil. Here we used a systematic approach that interconnects symptoms, transmission electron microscopy, RT-PCR detection assays followed by Sanger sequencing, and high-throughput sequ...

For the first time, the near-complete genome sequence of the betacarmovirus, hibiscus chlorotic ringspot virus (HCRSV) isolated from the Americas is disclosed. High throughput sequencing of the total RNA extract from a Hibiscus-rosa sinensis (L.) plant collected in São Paulo state, Brazil, revealed the genome sequence of HCRSV isolate SBO1, which i...

A non-radioactive dot-blot nucleic acid hybridization method was evaluated for detecting citrus leaf blotch virus (CLBV, Flexiviridae: Citrivirus) in total RNA extracts from kumquat trees. DNA fragments partially encompassing the open reading frames encoding the polymerase (RdRp) and the movement (MP coat (CP) proteins of CLBV were used to generate...

Corynespora cassiicola (Burk. & M.A. Curtis) C.T. Wei. is an anamorphic fungus that affects more than 530 plant species, including economically important crops. Several lineages of this pathogen have been recognized, but the classification of isolates into clades is time-consuming and still sometimes leads to unclear results. In this work, eight ma...

In February 2019, following the annual taxon ratification vote, the order Mononegavirales was amended by the addition of four new subfamilies and 12 new genera and the creation of 28 novel species. This article presents the updated taxonomy of the order Mononegavirales as now accepted by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). ©...

Mealybug wilt of pineapple (MWP) disease has been associated with the infection by a complex of ampeloviruses (Pineapple mealybug wilt-associated virus 1 (PMWaV-1), PMWaV-2, PMWaV-3, PMWaV-4 and PMWaV-5)) (Closteroviridae) and badnaviruses (Pineapple bacilliform CO virus (PBCOV) and Pineapple bacilliform ER virus (PBERV) (Caulimoviridae)). In Cuba,...

Although diseases caused by Brevipalpus-transmitted viruses (BTV) became relevant for agriculture a century ago, their causal agents have been only recently characterized and classified in two new genera of plant-infecting viruses: Cilevirus and Dichorhavirus. In this review, we highlight both similarities and differences between these viruses emph...

Citrus leprosis (CL) is a viral disease currently affecting citrus orchards in Latin America. It causes a non-systemic infection that produces necrotic and chlorotic spots in leaves, stems and fruits, reducing citrus crop yield and leading to the death of younger trees. Viruses causing CL are assigned to two genera: Cilevirus [bipartite ss(+) RNA]...

The genus Dichorhavirus includes plant-infecting rhabdoviruses with bisegmented genomes that are horizontally transmitted by false spider mites of the genus Brevipalpus. The complete genome sequences of three isolates of the putative dichorhavirus clerodendrum chlorotic spot virus were determined using next-generation sequencing (Illumina) and trad...

A group of related bacilliform, nuclear viruses with a bisegmented negative-sense RNA genome that are transmitted by Brevipalpus mites likely in a circulative–propagative manner were recently classified in the new genus Dichorhavirus, family Rhabdoviridae. These viruses cause localized lesions on leaves, stems, and fruits of economically significan...

Local chlorotic spots resembling early lesions characteristic of citrus leprosis (CL) were observed in leaves of two sweet orange (Citrus sinensis L.) trees in Teresina, State of Piauí, Brazil, in early 2017. However, despite the similarities, these spots were generally larger than those of a typical CL and showed rare or no necrosis symptoms. In s...

False-spider mites of the genus Brevipalpus are highly polyphagous pests that attack hundreds of plant species of distinct families worldwide. Besides causing direct damage, these mites may also act as vectors of many plant viruses that threaten high-value ornamental plants like orchids and economically important crops such as citrus and coffee. To...

The complete nucleotide sequence of an isolate of tomato mottle mosaic virus (ToMMV) was determined. The virus, originally isolated from symptomatic tomato plants found in a county near the city of São Paulo, Brazil, has a genome with 99% nucleotide sequence identity with ToMMV from Mexico, China, Spain, and the United States.

The citrus belt (São Paulo and southwestern Minas Gerais) is the main production region of sweet oranges in Brazil, a crop valued more than US$14.5 billion per year. Citrus yields are frequently affected by pathogens. Among them, citrus leprosis (CL) is the most important viral disease of sweet orange due to the damages caused by chlorotic and necr...

Citrus leprosis (CL) is a viral disease endemic to theWestern Hemisphere that produces local necrotic and chlorotic lesions on leaves, branches, and fruit and causes serious yield reduction in citrus orchards. Samples of sweet orange (Citrus × sinensis) trees showing CL symptoms were collected during a survey in noncommercial citrus areas in the so...

Ensayos de transmisión mostraron desarrollo de síntomas típicos de BTS en todas las plantas de papaya después de tres meses de post-inoculadas con Empoasca papayae. El fitoplasma identificado en 28 de 45 las plantas inoculadas, presentó, en secuencia de ADN ribosomal 16S, un 99,9% igual al identificado en plantas de campo y con las detectadas previ...

Brevipalpus-transmitted viruses (BTV) are a taxonomically diverse group of plant viruses which severely affect a number of major crops. Members of the group can be sub-classified into cytoplasmic (BTV-C) or nuclear type (BTV-N) according to the accumulation sites of virions in the infected plant cells. Both types of BTV produce only local infection...

Leprosis is a serious disease of citrus caused by Citrus leprosis virus C (CiLV-C, genus Cilevirus) whose transmission is mediated by false spider mites of the genus Brevipalpus. CiLV-C infection does not systemically spread in any of its known host plants, thus remaining restricted to local lesions around the feeding sites of viruliferous mites. T...

Citrus leprosis virus C (CiLV-C) causes a severe disease affecting citrus orchards in the Western hemisphere. This study reveals the molecular variability of the virus by analyzing four genomic regions (p29, p15, MP and RNA2-intergenic region) distributed over its two RNAs. Nucleotide diversity (π) values were relatively low but statistically diffe...

The presence of Orchid fleck virus (OFV) in Paraguay was confirmed in orchid plants collected during a survey carried out in 2013. Leaves dis- played ringspot and fleck symptoms, and in infected tissues, non-envel- oped, short, rodlike viral particles were observed. Partial OFV N and L genes were amplified using specific and degenerate primers, res...

Citrus leaf blotch virus (CLBV) infection has been detected in citrus cultivars from several countries including the USA, Spain, Italy, Japan and New Zealand. To investigate whether CLBV is present in Cuba, a survey was conducted in seven commercial citrus fields of the country during 2007-2013. In all, 1940 trees were inspected and samples of two...

Papaya bunchy top (PBT) disease has been associated with Rickettsia-related proteobacterium. To study the occurrence of this proteobacterium in Cuba, during 2012, we collected 264 samples from asymptomatic and symptomatic papaya trees in three regions of Cuba. Symptomatic tissue evaluated by transmission electron microscopy revealed Rickettsia-like...

Mealybug wilt of pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.) is a devastating viral disease found in all the major pineapple production regions of the world. The etiology of the disease is associated to five ampelovirus named Pineapple mealybug wilt-associated virus-1 to -5 (PMWaV-1 to -5) (Closteroviridae, Ampelovirus). In Cuba, the disease has been ass...

La Leprosis de los cítricos es una enfermedad de etiología viral que produce lesiones locales e induce la defoliación, muerte de las ramas, y la caída temprana de los frutos. Por lo general, la enfermedad reduce la vida útil de la planta y en ocasiones conlleva a su muerte. La Leprosis fue descrita a comienzo del siglo XX y hasta la fecha sólo se h...

Mealybug wilt of pineapple (MWP) is considered one of the most destructive diseases of pineapple ( Ananas comosus ) crops worldwide. MWP have been related to five species of Pineapple mealybug wilt-associated virus -1 to 5 (PMWaV-1 to 5)…

Resumen La marchitez de la piña (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.) es una de las enfermedades más destructivas que afecta a este cultivo en todo el mundo. Su etiología se ha asociado a cinco virus denominados Pineapple mealybug wilt-associated virus-1 al -5 (PMWaV-1 al -5) (Closteroviridae, Ampelovirus). En Cuba, esta enfermedad ocasiona pérdidas estimada...

A broad variety of foreign genes can be expressed in transgenic plants, which offer the opportunity for large-scale production of pharmaceutical proteins, such as therapeutic antibodies. Nimotuzumab is a humanized anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) recombinant IgG1 antibody approved in different countries for the treatment of head and nec...

ELISA test, tissue printing, nucleic acid hybridization, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and particularly, real-time PCR are generic platforms used for high-throughput diagnosis in phytopathology. Based on these platforms, a set of devices and specific protocols and reagents (probes, primers, antibodies, etc.), a wide range of plant pathogens such...

Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a common crop in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Crop yields are seriously affected by mealybug wilt of pineapple (MWP), a viral disease with mealybugs (Dysmicoccus spp.) as vectors (Sether et al., 2005). Viruses associated with MWP are members of the genus Ampelovirus, family Closteroviridae. In Hawaii, P...