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Disciplines: Biology, Ecology, Genetics
Region: Arizona uplands
Chapter: Tucson
The Saguaro cactus, Carnegiea gigantea (Engelm.) Britton & Rose, is an iconic symbol of the Sonoran Desert. There has been extensive research undertaken on the Saguaro cactus, investigating the physiology, reproduction, ecology and recently genomics, however, there is almost no information about the viral communities associated with Saguaro, with only one Saguaro-infecting virus described, the Saguaro cactus virus (SCV). High throughput sequencing technologies have enabled the discovery of novel viruses across ecosystems and allowed for the rapid identification of known viruses. An understanding of plant-infecting viruses and their ecology is economically, agriculturally, and culturally important. Since plant virus research has focused largely on those of agricultural importance little effort has been directed at evaluating the impact of viruses in native plants. In the case of those plant species that are rare and unique, like the Saguaro cactus, such information is essential for conservation, and informed management and cultivation practices. The aim of this research is to expand our current knowledge of the viral diversity associated with the iconic Saguaro, C. gigantea, using a high throughput sequencing approach on DNA from archived Saguaro samples, thereby providing important data on potential viral pathogens and gaining a better understanding of the viral ecology of cacti. There are significant research programs in place to understand the biology of the Saguaro, coupling the viral disease aspect could provide insights into the host/pathogen interactions and possibly viral movement that is associated with movement of infected planting material.
