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A novel mastrevirus infecting wheat in India
Jitendra Kumar1, Sudhir P Singh, Jitesh Kumar
1National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute, SAS Nagar, Mohali, Punjab, India.
Archives of Virology
|July 4, 2012
Summary
A novel mastrevirus, wheat dwarf India virus, was identified in wheat crops in India. This discovery confirms a new viral species causing significant dwarfing in wheat plants.
Area of Science:
- Plant virology
- Molecular biology
- Agricultural science
Background:
- Mastreviruses, belonging to the Geminiviridae family, are known plant pathogens.
- Wheat (Triticum aestivum) is a vital global crop susceptible to various viral diseases.
- Previous reports of mastrevirus infections in Indian wheat are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize a novel mastrevirus infecting wheat in India.
- To confirm the etiological role of the identified virus in observed wheat dwarfing.
- To propose a new species designation for the novel mastrevirus.
Main Methods:
- Rolling-circle amplification (RCA) for virus detection.
- Complete genome sequencing and nucleotide analysis.
- Agroinoculation of wheat plants with viral DNA clones.
- Detection of the virus in its candidate insect vector (leafhopper).
Main Results:
- A new mastrevirus, 2783 bp in length, was identified in Indian wheat.
- The virus exhibited typical mastrevirus genome organization.
- Infectious clone inoculation caused dwarfing symptoms in wheat, confirming pathogenicity.
- Identical virus found in a field-collected leafhopper, suggesting it as a vector.
Conclusions:
- The novel mastrevirus is the causative agent of wheat dwarfing in the studied Indian fields.
- Low sequence identity supports its classification as a new mastrevirus species.
- The proposed name for this new species is "wheat dwarf India virus".
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