In 2023, Adenium obesum plants displaying virus-like symptoms were observed in two locations in Brazil. High-throughput sequencing (HTS) analysis of RNA-Seq from one sample yielded a contig sequence of 3,923 nucleotides (nt), showing 97.77% nt identity with the genome of pelargonium flower break virus (PFBV, genus Alphacarmovirus). Total RNA was also extracted from another sample, and the presence of PFBV was confirmed by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) in these two samples.
Attempts to mechanically transmit the virus were made by inoculating sap from infected A. obesum leaves to healthy seedlings of A. obesum and Pelargonium zonale, but these were not successful. However, PFBV was successfully transmitted by grafting from and to an A. obesum plant. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of PFBV infecting A. obesum plants.
Bello, Vinicius & Nagata, Tatsuya & Rezende, Jorge & Kitajima, Elliot. (2025). Adenium obesum as a New Natural Host of Pelargonium Flower Break Virus. Journal of Phytopathology. 173. 10.1111/jph.70052.
Source: Research Gate