Molecular characterization of begomoviruses and DNA satellites from Vietnam: additional evidence that the New World geminiviruses were present in the Old World prior to continental separation

• DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.83236-0
• Publication Date: 2007-12-18T16:33:35Z
• Authors: Cuong Ha; Steven Coombs; Peter Revill; Rob Harding; Man Vu; James Dale
• Keywords: DNA Replication; 0301 basic medicine; 572; 550; Molecular Sequence Data; Genome, Viral; DNA, Satellite; Polymerase Chain Reaction; 09 Engineering; 630; Viral Proteins; 03 medical and health sciences; 0903 Biomedical Engineering; Amino Acid Sequence; Conserved Sequence; Phylogeny; Recombination, Genetic; 0304 Medicinal and Biomolecular Chemistry; Base Sequence; Genetic Variation; DNA Satellites; DNA; 3. Good health; Begomoviruses; Geminiviridae; Vietnam; Begomovirus; Viruses; DNA, Viral; Geminiviruses; 03 Chemical Sciences

Sixteen viruses, belonging to 16 species of begomovirus, that infect crops and weeds in Vietnam were identified. Sequence analysis of the complete genomes showed that nine of the viruses (six monopartite and three bipartite) belong to novel species and five of them were identified in Vietnam for the first time. Additionally, eight DNA-βand three nanovirus-like DNA-1 molecules were also found associated with some of the monopartite viruses. Five of the DNA-βmolecules were novel. Importantly, a second bipartite begomovirus,Corchorusgolden mosaic virus, shared several features with the previously characterized virusCorchorusyellow vein virus and with other bipartite begomoviruses from the New World, supporting the hypothesis that New World-like viruses were present in the Old World. This, together with a high degree of virus diversity that included putative recombinant viruses, satellite molecules and viruses with previously undescribed variability in the putative stem–loop sequences, suggested that South-East Asia, and Vietnam in particular, is one of the origins of begomovirus diversity.