Valouzi Hajar, Dizadji Akbar, Golnaraghi Alireza, Salami Seyed Alireza, Fontdevila Pareta Nuria, Önder Serkan, Selmi Ilhem, Rollin Johan, Berhal Chadi, Tamisier Lucie, Maclot François, Wang Long, Zhang Rui, Bahlolzada Habibullah, Lefeuvre Pierre, Massart Sébastien
Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj 7787131587, Iran.
Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Food Industries, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran 1477893855, Iran.
Viruses. 2025 Aug 4;17(8):1079. doi: 10.3390/v17081079.
Saffron ( L.) is a vegetatively propagated crop of high economic and cultural value, potentially affected by viral infections that may impact its productivity. Despite Iran's dominance in global saffron production, knowledge of its virome remains limited. In this study, we conducted the first nationwide virome survey of saffron in Iran employing a high-throughput sequencing (HTS) approach on pooled samples obtained from eleven provinces in Iran and one location in Afghanistan. Members of three virus families were detected- (), (), and ()-as well as one satellite from the family (). A novel , tentatively named saffron Iran virus (SaIRV) and detected in three provinces, shares less than 68% nucleotide identity with known Potyvirus species, thus meeting the ICTV criteria for designation as a new species. Genetic diversity analyses revealed substantial intrapopulation SNP variation but no clear geographical clustering. Among the two wild Crocus species sampled, only harbored turnip mosaic virus. Virome network and phylogenetic analyses confirmed widespread viral circulation likely driven by corm-mediated propagation. Our findings highlight the need for targeted certification programs and biological characterization of key viruses to mitigate potential impacts on saffron yield and quality.
藏红花（Crocus sativus L.）是一种具有高经济和文化价值的无性繁殖作物，可能受到病毒感染的影响，进而影响其生产力。尽管伊朗在全球藏红花生产中占据主导地位，但其病毒组的相关知识仍然有限。在本研究中，我们采用高通量测序（HTS）方法，对从伊朗11个省份和阿富汗的一个地点采集的混合样本进行了伊朗首次全国性藏红花病毒组调查。检测到了三个病毒科的成员——（此处原文缺失病毒科名称）、（此处原文缺失病毒科名称）和（此处原文缺失病毒科名称）——以及来自（此处原文缺失病毒科名称）科的一个卫星病毒。一种新的病毒，暂定名为藏红花伊朗病毒（SaIRV），在三个省份被检测到，与已知马铃薯Y病毒属物种的核苷酸同一性低于68%，因此符合国际病毒分类委员会（ICTV）关于认定为新物种的标准。遗传多样性分析揭示了种群内大量的单核苷酸多态性（SNP）变异，但没有明显的地理聚类。在采样的两种野生番红花物种中，只有（此处原文缺失物种名称）携带芜菁花叶病毒。病毒组网络和系统发育分析证实，可能由球茎介导的传播导致了病毒的广泛传播。我们的研究结果强调了需要有针对性的认证计划和对关键病毒进行生物学特性鉴定，以减轻对藏红花产量和质量的潜在影响。
