How To Be a Successful Monopartite Begomovirus in a Bipartite-Dominated World: Emergence and Spread of Tomato Mottle Leaf Curl Virus in Brazil
Juliana Osse de Souza, Tomás A. Melgarejo, Sandra Thuy Vu, Erich Y. T. Nakasu, Lifang Chen, María R. Rojas, F. Murilo Zerbini, Alice K. Inoue‐Nagata, R. L. Gilbertson
Abstract
Worldwide, diseases of tomato caused by whitefly-transmitted geminiviruses (begomoviruses) cause substantial economic losses and a reliance on insecticides for management. Here, we describe the molecular and biological properties of tomato mottle leaf curl virus (ToMoLCV) from Brazil and establish that it is a NW monopartite begomovirus indigenous to northeastern Brazil. This answered a long-standing question regarding the genome of this virus, and it is part of an emerging group of these viruses in Latin America. This appears to be driven by widespread planting of the highly susceptible tomato and by local and exotic whiteflies. Our extensive phylogenetic studies placed ToMoLCV in a distinct strongly supported clade with other begomoviruses from northeastern Brazil and revealed new insights into the origin of Brazilian begomoviruses. The novel phylogeographic analysis indicated that ToMoLCV has had a long evolutionary history, emerging in northeastern Brazil >700 years ago. Finally, the tools used here (agroinoculation system and ToMoLCV-specific PCR test) and information on the biology of the virus (host range and whitefly transmission) will be useful in developing and implementing integrated pest management (IPM) programs targeting ToMoLCV.