New geminivirus of tomatoes found in Mexico
A new geminivirus of Solanaceae has been reported from Mexico. Since 1989 the new virus appeared on tomato and pepper crops in the region of Sinaloa in west coastal Mexico and is now widespread throughout the region. Symptoms on tomato plants are foliar curling, chlorosis, purpling and shorter internodes whereas the symptoms on pepper are expressed on the leaves as large irregular light green blotches. Experiments on transmission showed that the virus can be vectored by B. tabaci (EPPO A2 quarantine pest) and that a mechanical transmission from tomato to tobacco is possible. DNA hybridization experiments showed that the virus is genetically similar to other viruses so far described in the region, but not to Old World geminiviruses. Due to its host range which includes tomato, pepper, aubergine and tobacco as well as its unique symptoms in tomato the authors distinguished it from other geminiviruses occuring in the region and named it Sinaloa tomato leaf curl geminivirus. The genetically relatedness of the virus with New World whitefly-transmitted geminiviruses let the authors assume that the virus is indigenous to the region.
Sources
Brown, J.K.; Idris, A.M.; Fletcher, D.C. (1993) Sinaloa tomato leaf curl virus, a newly described geminivirus of tomato and pepper in West Coastal Mexico.
Plant Disease 77, 1262.