Detection and Variability of Begomoviruses in Tomato from the Andean States of Venezuela

Abstract

The three Andean states of Mérida, Táchira, and Trujillo in Venezuela produce tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum) year-round with a high frequency of virus-like symptoms. Polymerase chain reaction amplification using degenerate primers detected begomoviruses in 18% of leaf samples collected from tomato plants showing virus-like symptoms in commercial fields in these states between 1993 and 1994. A comparison of the sequences of the amplified DNA products revealed a diversity of begomovirus sequences in tomato plants from this region. Partial A component sequences (approximately 1,100 bp) clustered in four groups based on BLAST, GAP, phylogenetic analyses of the nucleic acid sequences, and comparisons of iteron sequences with known begomoviruses. Two groups of sequences were closely related to Potato yellow mosaic virus—Venezuela strain tomato and Tomato Venezuela virus, respectively, begomoviruses previously reported from other Venezuelan states. The other two groups of sequences appear to belong to two new begomovirus species.

Diversity and prevalence of Brazilian bipartite begomovirus species associated to tomatoes

“…We did in fact observe that some of the begomovirus negative samples contained other viruses, which will be reported elsewhere. In a survey carried out in tomato crops in Venezuela between 2003 and 2004, begomoviruses were detected in approximately 18% of samples collected from plants with virus-like symptoms [21], which was similar to our results. It is interesting to note that symptom analyses of the positive samples confirmed that there was no clear correlation between type of symptom (interveinal chlorosis, rugosity, yellow mosaic, leaf distortion, and stunting) and the corresponding virus species (data not shown).…”

Molecular variability of Merremia mosaic virus infecting tomatoes in Venezuela

“…2). This result could be expected due to the traffic of tomato seedlings across the country as was previously observed for Potato yellow mosaic virus (Nava et al 2006;Chirinos et al 2014;Geraud-Pouey et al 2015). According to our results MeMV has a relative high genetic diversity in Venezuela compared to other begomoviruses widespread in the country, like Melon chlorotic mosaic virus (MeCMV), which has a low genetic diversity (NI > 97 %), even when analysing the full DNA-A component .…”

“…(Convolvulaceae) in Puerto Rico (Brown et al 2001) and, afterwards, was reported in Belize (GenBank accession numbers for DNA-A components: EU709521; EU709522; EU709525), Saint Kitts and Nevis, (GenBank accession number for DNA-A component: GU320575) and Venezuela (GenBank accession number for DNA-A component: AY50899). In the latter case, the virus was found infecting tomatoes and named Btomato mosaic leaf curl virus^ (Nava et al 2006). However, this isolate is currently considered as an isolate into the species MeMV (Brown et al 2015).…”

“…MeMV DNA was amplified by PCR using universal primers PAL1v1978 and PAR1c715 for begomoviruses (Rojas et al 1993), which amplify the common region and part of the genes AV1 and AC1. This genomic region has been previously used to estimate genetic diversity of other begomoviruses from the New World (Nava et al 2006;Sánchez-Campos et al 2013;Geraud-Pouey et al 2015). PCR amplicons were sequenced in both directions using an ABI-3130 genetic analyzer.…”

Transmisión del tomato Venezuela virus por Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), en Maracaibo, Venezuela

“…Dada las similitudes en genomas, circunstancialmente aquí adoptamos el nombre de Tomato Venezuela virus para nuestro aislado. Nuevos Begomovirus han sido detectados en la zona andina venezolana (Nava et al 2006). Recientemente, fue encontrado también el Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) como primer reporte para Venezuela, incluso para Sudamérica (Zambrano et al 2007).…”