title: βC1 of chili leaf curl betasatellite is a pathogenicity determinant.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cotton leaf curl disease in the Indian subcontinent is associated with several distinct begomoviruses that interact with a disease-specific DNA satellite named Cotton leaf curl Multan betasatellite (CLCuMB). However, we have recently reported that Chili leaf curl betasatellite (ChLCB) is also occasionally found associated with the disease in Pakistan. The question as to whether ChLCB contributes to the development of disease symptoms such as leaf curling and enations remain to be answered. We have previously shown that the expression of βC1 of CLCuMB develops all symptoms of cotton leaf curl disease in Nicotiana benthamiana when expressed from PVX vector.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The role of ChLCB in the induction of typical disease symptoms was studied by its expression from PVX vector in N. benthamiana. The expression of βC1 from PVX vector developed severe leaf curl symptoms and leaf-like enations that resemble the phenotype induced by βC1 of CLCuMB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results presented here show that the expression of βC1 of ChLCB from PVX vector exhibit phenotype typical of cotton leaf curl and therefore ChLCB may contribute to the disease symptoms.
authors: Agricultural Biotechnology Division, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
authors: Muhammad N
authors: MN
authors: Tahir
authors: Shahid
authors: S
authors: Mansoor
mesh_terms: D002212:Capsicum / Q000821:virology*; D004276:DNA, Satellite / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015870:Gene Expression; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D010154:Pakistan; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000821:virology; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000821:virology; D017863:Potexvirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000821:virology; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D004276:DNA, Satellite