Malvastrum leaf curl Guangdong virus is a distinct monopartite begomovirus

Abstract

Virus isolates GD6, GD7, GD8, GD9 and GD10 were obtained from Malvastrum coromandelianum showing leaf curl symptoms in Guangdong Province of China. A specific 500 bp product was consistently detected in total DNA extracts, amplified with universal primers specific for members of the genus Begomovirus. Analysis of their partial DNA sequences revealed that they are isolates of the same begomovirus species, sharing 92·8%–97·1% nucleotide sequence identity. The complete DNA sequences of both GD6 and GD9 were found to be 2767 nucleotides, with all the characteristic features of begomovirus genome organization. The two isolates have less than 85·2% nucleotide sequence identity with other reported begomoviruses. Consequently, GD6 and GD9 are considered to be isolates of a novel begomovirus species, for which the name Malvastrum leaf curl Guangdong virus (MLCuGdV) is proposed. Sequence analyses suggest that MLCuGdV may have arisen by recombination between viruses related to Papaya leaf curl China virus, Tomato leaf curl Philippines virus and other undiscovered virus ancestors. Neither the DNA‐B component nor the DNAβ molecule associated with these begomovirus isolates was found. An infectious clone of GD6 was constructed. GD6 efficiently infected Nicotiana benthamiana, N. glutinosa and Petunia hybrida by agro‐inoculation, and Malvastrum coromandelianum by whitefly transmission, inducing leaf curling, vein swelling and stunting symptoms. GD6 was also infectious in N. tabacum, but did not induce observable disease symptoms.