High genetic homogeneity points to a single introduction event responsible for invasion of Cotton leaf curl Multan virus and its associated betasatellite into China.

Zhenguo Du,Xiaoman She,Zifu He,Yafei Tang

doi:10.1186/s12985-015-0397-y

Abstract

BackgroundCotton leaf curl Multan virus (CLCuMuV) is a Whitefly Transmitted Geminivirus (WTG) endemic to the India subcontinent and is notorious as a causal agent of cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD), a major constraint to cotton production in south Asia. We found CLCuMuV infecting Hibiscus rosa-sinensis in Guangzhou, China in 2006. The spread and evolution of the invading CLCuMuV were monitored in the following nine years.FindingsCLCuMuV spread rapidly in the last nine years and became established in Southern China. It infects at least five malvaceous plant species, H. rosa-sinensis, H. esculentus, Malvaiscus arboreus, Gossypium hirsutum and H. cannabinus. Complete nucleotide sequences of 34 geographically and/or temporally distinct CLCuMuV isolates were determined and analyzed together with six other publicly available genomes of CLCuMuV occurring in China. The 40 CLCuMuV isolates were found to share > 99 % nucleotide sequence identity with each other. In all cases tested, the CLCuMuVs were associated with a CLCuMuB. The 36 CLCuMuBs (30 sequenced by us) shared > 98 % nucleotide sequence identity.ConclusionThe high genetic homogeneity of CLCuMuV and CLCuMuB in China suggests the establishment of them from a single founder event.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12985-015-0397-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Highlights

Cotton leaf curl Multan virus (CLCuMuV) is a Whitefly Transmitted Geminivirus (WTG) endemic to the India subcontinent and is notorious as a causal agent of cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD), a major constraint to cotton production in south Asia
Viral introduction is responsible for a number of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) that directly affect human living or affect human wellbeing indirectly by damaging poultry, livestock and causing population decline or even species extinction of wild animals [5, 9]
The situation began to change in the end of the last century due to many anthropogenic activities that have favored virus dispersal [21]. This is especially obvious for Whitefly Transmitted Geminiviruses (WTGs), which usually infect only dicotyledonous plants and are taxonomically classified into the genus Begomovirus

Summary

Introduction

Cotton leaf curl Multan virus (CLCuMuV) is a Whitefly Transmitted Geminivirus (WTG) endemic to the India subcontinent and is notorious as a causal agent of cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD), a major constraint to cotton production in south Asia. Conclusion: The high genetic homogeneity of CLCuMuV and CLCuMuB in China suggests the establishment of them from a single founder event. Cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD) is one of the most notorious plant diseases caused by WTGs. It represents a major limiting factor for cotton production in many regions of South Asia [19, 26]. We found CLCuMuV (Fai[CN:GZ:G6:Hib:06], EF465535) infecting H. rosa-sinensis in Guangzhou, China in 2006 [12].

Results

Conclusion