Chili Leaf Curl Betasatellite Enhances Symptoms Induced by Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi Virus, a Bipartite Begomovirus

Begomovirus disease complexes are the major limiting factor on chilies throughout the Indian subcontinent. The severe symptoms in chilies are associated with multiple begomovirus components. Infectivity assays of Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) and Chili leaf curl betasatellite (ChLCB) were conducted. DNA A and DNA B of ToLCNDV isolated from chilies and tomato were infectious and produced leaf curl symptoms when inoculated on Nicotiana benthamiana by biolistic gun method. Co-inoculation of ToLCNDV with ChLCB resulted in the severity of disease symptoms. These results show that interaction of betasatellite with bipartite begomoviruses may enhance symptoms induced by bipartite viruses. Thus interactions of betasatellites and symptom enhancement are not limited to monopartite begomoviruses and bipartite begomovirus-betasatellite interaction presents yet another example of rapid changes in begomovirus complexes that infect important crops in the region. (C) 2014 Friends Science Publishers