{"id":35403,"date":"2026-09-28T16:22:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T16:22:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iita.org\/?post_type=news-item&#038;p=35403"},"modified":"2026-09-28T16:22:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T16:22:16","slug":"reading-the-viral-fossils-hidden-in-yam-genomes","status":"publish","type":"news-item","link":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/reading-the-viral-fossils-hidden-in-yam-genomes\/","title":{"rendered":"Reading the viral fossils hidden in yam genomes"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"820\" height=\"411\" src=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Reading-1.png\" alt=\" Infected yam tuber.\" class=\"wp-image-35408\" srcset=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Reading-1.png 820w, https:\/\/iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Reading-1-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Reading-1-768x385.png 768w, https:\/\/iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Reading-1-18x9.png 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"> Infected yam tuber.<br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>New genomic evidence could help scientists distinguish ancient viral remnants from active infections\u2014and support safer yam germplasm exchange<\/em><em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yams are prone to several viruses, and some of their genomes contain diverse viruses known as endogenous pararetroviral sequences (EPRVs), inherited over generations, these viruses complicate diagnostics and germplasm exchange because the sequences resemble the DNA of infectious viruses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A recent\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s00705-026-06703-4\"><u>genomic study<\/u><\/a> of five yam species\u2014<em>D. rotundata, D. alata, D. praehensilis, D. abyssinica, and D. dumetorum\u2014<\/em>identified inactive integrations of four major groups of badnavirus-derived DNA in the yam genome. The findings provide new information that could help scientists clarify a persistent challenge for plant health testing and yam germplasm exchange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.iita.org\/reading-the-viral-fossils-hidden-in-yam-genomes\/\">Read More:<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New genomic evidence could help scientists distinguish ancient viral remnants from active infections\u2014and support safer yam germplasm exchange Yams are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":35408,"template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"tags":[3068,3033,3080,3079,2903,406],"science-area":[4],"program":[108,109],"location":[32],"news-type":[50],"hub":[61],"crop":[71],"impact-areas":[72],"item-year":[204],"class_list":["post-35403","news-item","type-news-item","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-breeding","tag-crop-improvement","tag-genebanks","tag-germplasm","tag-plant-health","tag-yam","science-area-resilient-agri-food-systems","program-farming-systems-agronomy","program-plant-health","location-nigeria","news-type-blog","hub-western-africa","crop-yam","impact-areas-nutrition-health-and-food-security","item-year-204"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - 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