Association of tomato leaf curl Sudan virus with leaf curl disease of tomato in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Generation and Characterization of Nanobodies Against Tomato Leaf Curl Sudan Virus

Begomoviruses infect food, fiber, and vegetable crop plants, including tomato, potato, bean, cotton, cucumber, and pumpkin, and damage many economically important crop plants worldwide. Tomato leaf curl Sudan virus (ToLCSDV) is the most widespread tomato-infecting begomovirus in Saudi Arabia. Using phage display technology, this study isolated two camel-derived nanobodies against purified ToLCSDV virions from a library of antigen-binding fragments (VHH or nanobody) of heavy-chain antibodies built from an immunized camel. The isolated nanobodies also cross-reacted with purified tomato yellow leaf curl virus virions and showed significant enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay reactivity with extracts from plants with typical begomovirus infection symptoms. The results can pave the way to developing diagnostics for begomovirus detection, design, and characterization of novel nanomaterials based on virus-like particles, in addition to nanobody-mediated begomovirus resistance in economically important crops, such as tomato, potato, and cucumber.

Identification of Tomato black ring virus from tomato plants grown in greenhouses in Saudi Arabia

A survey was conducted in Al-Kharj governorate, Riyadh region to identify viruses causing variety of virus-like symptoms on tomato plants. A total of 135 samples were collected from symptomatic tomato plants. Symptoms included mottling, deformation, necrosis of leaves and fruits. Eighteen viruses were tested by DAS-ELISA. Tomato black ring virus (TBRV) was the virus of concern as it was not detected in Saudi Arabia before and was detected in 52.6% of the collected samples in this study. RT-PCR was used to confirm detection of TBRV and to sequence the amplified products to determine molecular characteristics of this virus. In the host range test study that was performed using a purified isolate of TBRV, sixteen out of the twenty two tested plants showed symptoms. Brassica oleracea was not infected by this virus. Gel electrophoreses (2% agarose) yielded fragments of 978 bp of coat protein gene of TBRV. Nucleotide sequences of purified RT-PCR products for three TBRV Saudi isolates were deposited in the GenBank with the following accession numbers MT274656, MT274657, and MT274658. These isolates of TBRV indicated a close Phylogenetic relationship of (99–100%) among themselves and with five isolates from Poland (95–98%) but a distant relationship of 85% with isolates from England and Lithuania deposited in the GenBank. This is the first report for detection and molecular characterization of TBRV infecting tomato plants in Saudi Arabia.

Molecular and biological characterization of Chilli leaf curl virus and associated Tomato leaf curl betasatellite infecting tobacco in Oman

BACKGROUND

In Oman tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum; family Solanaceae) is a minor crop, which is produced only for local consumption. In 2015, tobacco plants exhibiting severe downward leaf curling, leaf thickening, vein swelling, yellowing and stunting were identified in fields of tobacco in Suhar Al-Batina region, Oman. These symptoms are suggestive of begomovirus (genus Begomovirus, family Geminiviridae) infection.

METHODS

Circular DNA molecules were amplified from total DNA extracted from tobacco plants by rolling circle amplification (RCA). Viral genomes were cloned from RCA products by restriction digestion and betasatellites were cloned by PCR amplification from RCA product, using universal primers. The sequences of full-length clones were obtained by Sanger sequencing and primer walking. Constructs for the infectivity of virus and betasatellite were produced and introduced into plants by Agrobacterium-mediated inoculation.

RESULTS

The full-length sequences of 3 begomovirus and 3 betasatellite clones, isolated from 3 plants, were obtained. Analysis of the full-length sequences determined showed the virus to be a variant of Chilli leaf curl virus (ChiLCV) and the betasatellite to be a variant of Tomato leaf curl betasatellite (ToLCB). Both the virus and the betasatellite isolated from tobacco show the greatest levels of sequence identity to isolates of ChiLCV and ToLCB identified in other hosts in Oman. Additionally clones of ChiLCV and ToLCB were shown, by Agrobacterium-mediated inoculation, to be infectious to 3 Nicotiana species, including N. tabacum. In N. benthamiana the betasatellite was shown to change the upward leaf rolling symptoms to a severe downward leaf curl, as is typical for many monopartite begomoviruses with betasatellites.

CONCLUSIONS

The leaf curl disease of tobacco in Oman was shown to be caused by ChiLCV and ToLCB. This is the first identification of ChiLCV with ToLCB infecting tobacco. The study shows that, despite the low diversity of begomoviruses and betasatellites in Oman, the extant viruses/betasatellites are able to fill the niches that present themselves.

Genetic diversity of begomoviruses infecting tomato plant in Saudi Arabia

Tomato is known as a highly valuable crop and grown worldwide for various uses. The cultivation and tomato production severely affected globally by several diseases caused by various pathogens. Begomoviruses causes yellow mosaic and leaf curl disease of tomato in the tropical, subtropical, temperate, and semi-arid regions. In Saudi Arabia, the tomato production adversely affected by disease caused by begomoviruses known as TYLCV and ToLCSDV. In this study, the pathogen was identified by Polymerase Chain Reaction using virus-specific primers and transmitted by whiteflies to healthy tomato seedlings. In a field survey, the tomato plants were exhibiting symptoms like viral infection. The infected leaf was randomly collected from various fields of tomato growing areas like Jeddah, Makkah, Tabuk, and Hail. The full-length viral genome was amplified by Rolling Circle Amplification technology (RCA) while betasatellites were amplified by PCR using universal betasatellites primers. The full-length viral genome (∼2.7 kb) and betasatellites (∼1.4 kb) were cloned and sequenced bi-directionally. The generated sequences were assembled and analyzed to find out the genetic variability by using bioinformatics tools and the genetic variability and phylogenetic relationships with selected begomoviruses were analyzed. The sequences showed the highest identity with an isolate of ToLCSDV and TYLCV. The nucleotide similarity and phylogenetic relationship showed the closest cluster with ToLCSDV and TYLCV. The data generated in this study elucidate that the causal organism is a variant of either TYLCV or ToLCSDV. The provided information from this study will be highly valuable for researchers and vegetable growers not only in Saudi Arabia but also in Arabian Peninsula.

Molecular evidence for the occurrence of TYLCV on Mentha longifolia in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Begomoviruses are whiteflies transmitted virus causing serious disease in many important plants exhibiting variable symptoms with significant economic loss globally. Mentha is an important crop being grown here in Saudi Arabia for various purposes. The begomovirus associated disease was observed on Mentha crops during field survey which were growing near to tomato field. There is no published report available about the association of begomovirus on Mentha from this region. So, this work was conducted to identify the causative agent associated with yellow vein mosaic disease. Naturally infected samples were collected from various locations and causative agent was identified by PCR using begomovirus specific primers and further cloned and sequenced bidirectionally. The full genome had total 2785 nucleotides while betasatellite molecule had 1365 nucleotides. Based on full-genome sequence analysis, the identity matrix and phylogenetic analysis showed the highest identity (99.6%) with Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) reported from tomato in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The identified begomovirus was observed as isolate of TYLCV.

Identification of a monopartite begomovirus associated with yellow vein mosaic of Mentha longifolia in Saudi Arabia

Mentha is a very important crop grown and used extensively for many purposes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Begomoviruses are whitefly-transmitted viruses causing serious disease in many important plants exhibiting variable symptoms with significant economic loss globally. During farmers' field survey, yellow vein mosaic disease was observed in Mentha longifolia plants growing near tomato fields in Saudi Arabia. The causative agent was identified in 11 out of 19 samples using begomovirus-specific primers and the association of begomovirus with yellow vein mosaic disease in M. longifolia was confirmed. The full-length viral genome and betasatellite were amplified, cloned, and sequenced bidirectionally. The full DNA-A genome was found to have 2785 nucleotides with 1365 bp-associated betasatellite molecule. An attempt was made to amplify DNA-B, but none of the samples produced any positive amplicon of expected size which indicated the presence of monopartite begomovirus. The sequence identity matrix and phylogenetic analysis, based on full genome showed the highest identity (99.6%) with Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) and in phylogenetic analysis it formed a closed cluster with Tomato leaf curl virus infecting tomato and Corchorus crop in Saudi Arabia. The sequence analysis results of betasatellites showed the highest identity (98.9%) with Tomato yellow leaf curl betasatellites infecting tomato and phylogenetic analysis using betasatellites formed a close cluster with Tomato yellow leaf curl betasatellites infecting tomato and Corchorus crops, which has already been reported to cause yellow vein mosaic and leaf curl disease in many cultivated and weed crops growing in Saudi Arabia. The identified begomovirus associated with yellow vein mosaic disease in mentha could be a mutated strain of TYLCV and tentatively designated as TYLCV-Mentha isolate. Based on published data and latest information, this is the first report of identification of Tomato yellow leaf curl virus associated with yellow vein mosaic disease of M. longifolia from Saudi Arabia.