Partial characterization of Sinaloa tomato leaf curl geminivirus
A disease of tomato and pepper which was first observed in Sinaloa, Mexico, in 1989, was tentatively attributed to Sinaloa tomato leaf curl geminivirus (see also EPPO RS 98/044). Infected tomato plants show foliar curling and chlorosis, unique purpling on the abaxial side of leaves and shortened internodes. Infected pepper plants exhibit a green-yellow foliar mosaic, shortened internodes and stunting. Biological and molecular studies have showed that Sinaloa tomato leaf curl geminivirus is a new bipartite geminivirus transmitted by Bemisia tabaci (EPPO A2 quarantine pest). Analysis of molecular sequences of key regions of the geminivirus genome demonstrated that Sinaloa tomato leaf curl is a unique and previously uncharacterized geminivirus. Experimental host range studies identified the following hosts: Datura metel, D. stramonium, Malva parviflora, Capsicum annuum and Solanum lycopersicon. None of the studied species within Cucurbitaceae or Leguminosae was found to be an experimental host. The authors also report that Sinaloa tomato leaf curl geminivirus (STLCV) can cause a symptomless infection in aubergine (Solanum melongena). STLCV is transmitted in a persistent manner by B. tabaci (these studies were carried out with biotype A). It is still unknown how widespread STLCV is in vegetable crops in the West Coast of Mexico or elsewhere in the Americas. The authors noted that another geminivirus isolate, called PVW-C, causes similar symptoms in Texas pepper fields, and shares more than 95% sequence homology with STLCV. This could indicate that STLCV occurs in Texas (US), but more studies would be needed to verify it.
Sources
Idris, A.M.; Brown, J.K. (1998) Sinaloa tomato leaf curl geminivirus: biological and molecular evidence for a new subgroup III virus.
Phytopathology, 88(7), 648-657.