Seed Transmission of Beet Curly Top Virus and Beet Curly Top Iran Virus in a Local Cultivar of Petunia in Iran

Abstract

Beet curly top virus (BCTV) and beet curly top Iran virus (BCTIV) are known as the causal agents of curly top disease in beet and several other dicotyledonous plants in Iran. These viruses are transmitted by Circulifer species, and until now, there has been no confirmed report of their seed transmission. A percentage (38.2–78.0%) of the seedlings developed from the seeds of a petunia local cultivar under insect-free conditions showed stunting, interveinal chlorosis, leaf curling, and vein swelling symptoms, and were infected by BCTV when tested by PCR. Presence of BCTV in seed extracts of petunia local cultivar was confirmed by PCR and IC-PCR, followed by sequencing. Agroinoculation of curly top free petunia plants with a BCTV infectious clone resulted in BCTV infection of plants and their developed seeds. These results show the seed infection and transmission of BCTV in a local cultivar of petunia. Similar experiments performed with BCTIV showed that this virus is also seed transmissible in the same cultivar of petunia, although with a lower rate (8.8–18.5%). Seed transmission of curly top viruses may have significant implications in the epidemiology of these viruses.

The Westward Journey of Alfalfa Leaf Curl Virus

“…Another possibility is that the same ALCV variant may have been introduced throughout Argentina in infected planting material such as seeds. Although seed-transmission has never been demonstrated for capulaviruses, this scenario cannot be completely ruled out as several recent studies have confirmed that geminiviruses belonging to at least three genera ( Begomovirus , Becurtovirus , and Curtovirus ) can be seed-transmitted [ 41 , 42 , 43 ].…”

Virus-mediated export of chromosomal DNA in plants

“…BCTIV is transmitted by the leafhopper Circulifer haematoceps in a circulative non-propagative manner, where the virus circulates through the insect body and accumulates in the salivary glands 21 . Due to the polyphagous behavior of this vector and the wide host range of BCTIV 11,22–24 , encapsidated minicircles could be exported over a wide range of plants, similarly to defective DNAs 16 .…”

No Evidence for Seed Transmission of Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Sardinia Virus in Tomato

“…Cells 2021, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 10 elucidate geminivirus origin, evolution and distribution patterns [11]. Furthermore, the seed transmissibility of TYLCV, one of the agents of the tomato yellow leaf curl disease (TYLCD) in tomato crops, has been pointed out as an additive factor that hampers the management of the disease, coupled with the increased presence of its vector, the whitefly Bemisia tabaci [5].…”