title: Badnaviruses: The Current Global Scenario.
abstract: Badnaviruses (Family: Caulimoviridae; Genus: Badnavirus) are non-enveloped bacilliform DNA viruses with a monopartite genome containing about 7.2 to 9.2 kb of dsDNA with three to seven open reading frames. They are transmitted by mealybugs and a few species by aphids in a semi-persistent manner. They are one of the most important plant virus groups and have emerged as serious pathogens affecting the cultivation of several horticultural crops in the tropics, especially banana, black pepper, cocoa, citrus, sugarcane, taro, and yam. Some badnaviruses are also known as endogenous viruses integrated into their host genomes and a few such endogenous viruses can be awakened, e.g., through abiotic stress, giving rise to infective episomal forms. The presence of endogenous badnaviruses poses a new challenge for the fool-proof diagnosis, taxonomy, and management of the diseases. The present review aims to highlight emerging disease problems, virus characteristics, transmission, and diagnosis of badnaviruses.
authors.affiliation: ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research, Kozhikode 673012, Kerala, India. aib65@yahoo.co.in.
authors.forename: Alangar Ishwara
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Bhat
authors.affiliation: UNIBAS, Botanical Institute, 4056 Basel, Switzerland. thomas.hohn@fmi.ch.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hohn
authors.affiliation: ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana, Tiruchirapalli 620102, Tamil Nadu, India. selvarajanr@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ramasamy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Selvarajan
mesh_terms: D019195:Badnavirus / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology*; D005523:Food Supply; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000821:virology*
keywords: badnavirus; detection; distribution; endogenous badnavirus; host range; integration; transmission