Genome characterization of chili leaf curl virus, the associated alphasatellite and betasatellite and demonstration of pathogenesis of the virus in south-eastern Iran

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 PhD student of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran College of Agriculture, University of Jiroft, Jiroft, Iran

2 College of Agriculture, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

10.22034/ijpp.2024.710581

Abstract

Begomovirus infecting vegetables is one of the main components of yield losses in south-eastern Iran. In this 
study, the incidence of chili leaf curl virus (ChiLCV) and the associated satellites were studied in pepper 
farms and commercial greenhouses of Jiroft and Manoojan (Kerman province). Full-length genome of three 
ChiLCV isolates was amplified using the rolling circle amplification method followed by cloning and 
sequencing. Furthermore, associated alpha- and betasatellites genomes were amplified in the PCR assay 
using specific and degenerate primer pairs, respectively. Sequence comparison showed that three ChiLCV 
isolates shared >95% pairwise nucleotide identities with the selected GenBank isolates. Gossypium darwinii 
symptomless alphasatellite (GDarSLA) was also found to be associated with three ChiLCV isolates and 
shared >89% pairwise identities with the selected GenBank isolates. Furthermore, tomato leaf curl 
betasatellie (ToLCB) was identified in two pepper isolates from Manoojan and shared >94% pairwise 
identities with the selected GenBank isolates. To demonstrate the pathogenesis of ChiLCV, a partial dimer of 
the viral genome was designed, constructed and agroinoculated into pepper seedlings. This led to the 
appearance of typical ChiLCV symptoms, including dwarfing and yellowing. Collectively, ChiLCV is one of 
the important begomoviruses infecting pepper in south-eastern Iran and the full-length genome of the virus 
as well as the associated alphasatellite are reported for the first time in Iran.

Keywords