Passiflora edulis is a new host of Cotton leaf curl Multan virus–betasatellite complex in China

Abstract

Passiflora edulis plants with typical symptoms of begomovirus infection, including leaf curling and dark green, swollen veins, were discovered in Yunnan province, China. The full-length viral components and satellite molecules of the infected P. edulis plants were obtained by enrichment of circular DNA by rolling circle amplification, restriction enzyme digestion, cloning and DNA sequencing. The viral component (2738 bp, MK370435) showed more than 99% nucleotide sequence identity with all recorded isolates of cotton leaf curl Multan virus (CLCuMuV) from China. The satellite molecule (1347 bp, MK370436) showed more than 98% nucleotide identity with all isolates of cotton leaf curl Multan betasatellite (CLCuMuB) from China. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that CLCuMuV and CLCuMuB from P. edulis clustered with all Chinese isolates of CLCuMuV and CLCuMuB and formed unique clades, respectively. According to the current taxonomic criteria for the classification of Begomovirus of Geminiviridae and Betasatellite of Tolecusatellitidae, the virus found infecting P. edulis was identified as an isolate of CLCuMuV, and its betasatellite belonged to CLCuMuB. To our knowledge, P. edulis is a new host plant for CLCuMuV-CLCuMuB.