# Phylogeographic History of Tomato Chlorosis Virus

## TL;DR

This study traces the global spread and evolution of Tomato Chlorosis Virus using genetic data, revealing its complex migration patterns and origins.

## Contribution

The study provides the first detailed Bayesian phylogeographic analysis of Tomato Chlorosis Virus using coat protein gene sequences.

## Key findings

- ToCV evolves at a rate of 6.24 × 10−4 substitutions per site per year.
- The most recent common ancestor of ToCV dates back to 1882.
- Five distinct migration pathways were identified across global regions.

## Abstract

Tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV), first reported in Florida, USA, in 1998, has since emerged in multiple regions worldwide, posing a significant threat to global tomato production. However, its origin, migration patterns, and evolutionary history remain poorly understood. In this study, we used Bayesian phylogeographic analysis of coat protein gene sequences from 155 ToCV isolates to reconstruct its phylogeographic history. Our results show that ToCV evolves at a rate of 6.24 × 10−4 subs/site/year (95% credibility interval: 4.35 × 10−4–8.28 × 10−4), with the most recent common ancestor dating back to 1882. The maximum clade credibility (MCC) tree revealed three major clades, with Clade 1—whose most recent common ancestor dates to approximately 1975—comprising over 90% of the isolates. Although the exact origin of ToCV remains uncertain, we identified five distinct migration pathways: one from Europe to the Americas, one from Europe to South Asia, one from the Middle East to East Asia, one from East Asia to mainland China, and one from mainland China to Europe. These findings underscore the complex global spread of ToCV and suggest that multiple geographic areas have contributed to its ongoing evolution and dissemination.