FIRST REPORT AND GENOME CHARACTERIZATION OF Pepper leaf curl Bangladesh virus INFECTING CHILLI IN INDIA

Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) leaves showing curling symptoms were collected from Jalandhar region of Punjab, India, and a monopartite begomovirus Pepper leaf curl Bangladesh virus (PepLCBV) associated with Tomato leaf curl Bangladesh betasatellite (ToLCBB) was found to infect the crop. The viral DNA was amplified, cloned and sequenced. Sequencing results revealed that the virus genome and betasatellite consists of 2755 and 1361 nucleotides respectively. Infectious clones of the virus were constructed in binary vector pCAMBIA-1300 and Koch’s postulates were fulfilled. PepLCBV infectious clone caused minor curling in chilli plants when inoculated alone, but it produced typical leaf curl and stunting symptoms in combination with the ToLCBB infectious clone. Phylogenetic analysis with other closely related begomoviruses showed that the present isolate shares high identity with Pepper leaf curl Bangladesh virus. The present isolate grouped with other chilli isolates of begomoviruses reported from India (Pepper leaf curl Lahore virus, Chilli leaf curl Nagpur virus and Tomato leaf curl Liwa virus). Phylogenetic analysis of betasatellite showed its closest identity with Tomato leaf curl Bangladesh betasatellite. It grouped with other betasatellites reported from India (Tomato leaf curl betasatellite, Fenugreek leaf curl betasatellite and Chilli leaf curl betasatellite). Recombination analysis of the virus and betasatellite sequences suggested that PepLCBV might be a recombinant of Chilli leaf curl virus as a major parent and Chilli leaf curl Multan virus as a minor parent, whereas ToLCBB seemed to be a recombinant of Tomato leaf curl betasatellite as a major parent and Tomato leaf curl Ranchi betasatellite as a minor parent. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of PepLCBV infecting chilli in India.