Occurrence and phylogenetic analysis of allexiviruses identified on garlic from China, Spain and Poland commercially available on the polish retail market

Garlic plants can be infected by different viruses including eight which belong to the genus Allexivirus, family Alphaflexiviridae. The aim of the research conducted was to detect and identify the allexiviruses GarV-A, GarV-B, GarV-C, GarV-D, GarV-X, GarMbFV and ShVX in garlic (Allium sativum L.) bulbs imported into Poland from China and Spain, and those growing in Poland by ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) as well as reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Bulbs tested were infected with one or more viruses, including species not previously recorded in Poland. Present in various combinations from 146 garlic bulbs were 83 virus isolates representing Garlic virus A, B, D, X and GarMbFV. The most genetically distinct population comprises isolates of GarV-X, while isolates of GarV-B and GarV-D seem to be genetically more uniform. GarMbFV isolates are also genetically uniform, except for isolates from South Korea and Argentina. The high sequence identity of isolates from China, Spain and Poland, detected in this study, probably results from the transmission of the viruses via a vector.