title: Bacilliform DNA-containing plant viruses in the tropics: commonalities within a genetically diverse group.
abstract: Plant viruses, possessing a bacilliform shape and containing double-stranded DNA, are emerging as important pathogens in a number of agricultural and horticultural crops in the tropics. They have been reported from a large number of countries in African and Asian continents, as well as from islands from the Pacific region. The viruses, belonging to two genera, Badnavirus and Tungrovirus, within the family Caulimoviridae, have genomes displaying a common plan, yet are highly variable, sometimes even between isolates of the same virus. In this article, we summarize the current knowledge with a view to revealing the common features embedded within the genetic diversity of this group of viruses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Virus; order Unassigned; family Caulimoviridae; genera Badnavirus and Tungrovirus; species Banana streak viruses, Bougainvillea spectabilis chlorotic vein banding virus, Cacao swollen shoot virus, Citrus yellow mosaic badnavirus, Dioscorea bacilliform viruses, Rice tungro bacilliform virus, Sugarcane bacilliform viruses and Taro bacilliform virus.
  Bacilliform in shape; length, 60-900 nm; width, 35-50 nm; circular double-stranded DNA of approximately 7.5 kbp with one or more single-stranded discontinuities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Each virus generally limited to its own host, including banana, bougainvillea, black pepper, cacao, citrus species, Dioscorea alata, rice, sugarcane and taro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Foliar streaking in banana and sugarcane, swelling of shoots in cacao, yellow mosaic in leaves and stems in citrus, brown spot in the tubers in yam and yellow-orange discoloration and stunting in rice.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  http://www.dpvweb.net.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Molecular Biology, Delhi University South Campus, New Delhi 110021, India.
authors.forename: Basanta K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Borah
authors.forename: Shweta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kant
authors.forename: A M Anthony
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Divi Venkata Ramana
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Saigopal
authors.forename: Indranil
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dasgupta
mesh_terms: D019195:Badnavirus / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D014644:Genetic Variation; D058507:Host Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000821:virology; D014329:Tropical Climate