Detection and molecular characterization of a new begomovirus associated with mosaic disease of Malachra capitata (Malvaceae)

During a survey from March 2013 to October 2015, in Barasat, West Bengal, India, symptoms suggestive of begomovirus infection were observed in Malachra capitata . The occurrence of begomovirus on M. capitata was confirmed by symptomatology, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Southern blot analysis and nucleotide analysis of the whole genome sequence. Sequence analysis showed that the virus had 90.6% identity with available sequences of Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV). We propose that the new begomovirus be named Malachra yellow mosaic virus (MalYMV). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time the complete genome of the MalYMV, infecting M. capitata in West Bengal, India, has been sequenced.