Identification of a new begomovirus infecting Duranta repens in Pakistan

Ornamental perennial plants may serve as reservoirs for viruses that infect field crops. Duranta repens is an ornamental shrub that frequently exhibits leaf curl symptoms typical of begomoviral infection. Two begomoviruses or DNA-A components (isolates 57SA and 58SA) along with a DNA-B component (31SA) were identified in a symptomatic D. repens plant. Isolates 57SA and 58SA showed the highest nucleotide sequence identity of 90% and 92.2% to catharanthus yellow mosaic virus (CaYMV) and chilli leaf curl India virus (ChiLCINV), respectively, whereas 31SA shared the highest nucleotide sequence identity of 95.2% with the DNA-B component of tomato leaf curl New Delhi Virus (ToLCNDV). Isolate 57SA (showing < 91% highest nucleotide sequence identity) may thus be considered a member of a distinct species, and we propose the name “duranta leaf curl virus” (DLCV) for this virus. In addition, isolate 58SA (showing highest nucleotide sequence identity < 94%) is a newly identified strain of ChiLCINV for which the name “Duranta” strain is proposed. Further analysis showed that 57SA, 58SA and 31SA are recombinant, again highlighting the importance of recombination in begomovirus evolution. This is the first identification of DLCV. Also, a mixed infection with two viruses (or DNA-A components) and one DNA-B is reported.