title: Role of betasatellite in the pathogenesis of a bipartite begomovirus affecting tomato in India.
abstract: Betasatellites are commonly associated with tomato leaf curl disease caused by begomoviruses in India. This study demonstrates the role of a betasatellite in the pathogenesis of tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV), a bipartite begomovirus affecting tomato in India. For infection, accumulation, systemic movement and disease induction by ToLCNDV, co-infection by the associated betasatellite was not essential, as the DNA A alone of ToLCNDV could infect tomato and Nicotiana benthamiana and induce mild symptoms, but DNA B or Cotton leaf curl Multan betasatellite (CLCuMB) was required for development of typical leaf curl symptoms. The symptoms were most severe in plants infected with all three components, indicating a role of the betasatellite in the pathogenesis of ToLCNDV. The plants infected with ToLCNDV DNA A alone had limited accumulation of viral DNA, which increased by many times in plants co-infected with DNA B or/and betasatellite. However, the plants infected with all three components accumulated 20 times less betasatellite DNA than the plants infected with DNA A and betasatellite. The increase in the amount of viral DNAs was also reflected in the commensurate increase in symptom severity and transmissibility by whitefly, Bemisia tabaci.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plant Pathology, Advanced Centre for Plant Virology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Sivalingam
authors.forename: Anupam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Varma
mesh_terms: D053839:Begomovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D004276:DNA, Satellite / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007194:India; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000821:virology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000821:virology; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D004276:DNA, Satellite; D004279:DNA, Viral