Pepper (Capsicum annuum) Is a Dead-End Host for Tomato yellow leaf curl virus

Area of Science:

• Plant pathology
• Virology
• Agricultural science

Background:

• Tomato yellow leaf curl (TYLC) is a major global threat to tomato production, caused by begomoviruses.
• Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) and Tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus (TYLCSV) are key pathogens in Southern Spain.
• TYLCV also impacts common bean crops, causing significant damage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the susceptibility of various plant species, including pepper, to different TYLCV strains.
• To determine if pepper plants can be infected by TYLCV, which has not been previously demonstrated.
• To assess the epidemiological implications of TYLCV infection in pepper.

Main Methods:

• Infection experiments using Agrobacterium tumefaciens infiltration, biolistic bombardment, and Bemisia tabaci inoculation.
• Testing susceptibility in pepper (Capsicum annuum), Nicotiana benthamiana, common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), and tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum).
• Utilizing two TYLCV strains: TYLCV-Mld[ES01/99] (mild) and TYLCV-[Alm] (virulent).

Main Results:

• Both TYLCV strains successfully infected pepper plants, confirming pepper susceptibility.
• This study provides the first evidence of TYLCV infection in pepper plants using TYLCV clones.
• Nicotiana benthamiana, common bean, and tomato were also confirmed as susceptible hosts.

Conclusions:

• Pepper plants are susceptible to infection by TYLCV strains.
• The ability of TYLCV to infect pepper has significant implications for disease spread and management strategies.
• Further research is needed to understand the full impact on TYLCV epidemiology.