A NEW ISOLATE OF TOMATO YELLOW LEAF CURL AXARQUIA VIRUS ASSOCIATED WITH TOMATO YELLOW LEAF CURL DISEASE IN JORDAN

In 2013, 23 tomato samples were collected from plants grown at Homret Al-Sahen region exhibiting typical Tomato yellow leaf curl disease (TYLCD) symptoms. After total nucleic acids were extracted, all samples were subjected to PCR analysis using primers previously reported to detect Tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus (TYLCSV), Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), recombinant type A viruses (named RecA, a recombinant between TYLCV/TYLCSV) and betasatellites. PCR analysis showed that 22 samples were infected with a mixture of TYLCV, TYLCSV and betasatellites, whereas one sample was infected with TYLCV, TYLCSV and RecA virus. The fulllength genome (2763 bp) of RecA type virus, was amplified, cloned and sequenced. Sequence analysis showed that the RecA virus had the highest nucleotide identity (96%) with the Italian strain of Tomato yellow leaf curl Axarquia virus (TYLCAxV-Sic2-[IT-Sic2/5-04], EU734832). Recombination analysis revealed that RecA virus detected in this study (hereafter called TYLCAxV-Sic2-[JO-Hom-13]) may be originated from the interspecies recombination between the Jordanian isolate of Tomato yellow leaf curl virus-[Jordan-Cucumber-2006] (EF433426) as a major parent and Tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus-[JO-Sinpsis-2011] (JX131285) as a minor parent. Agroinoculation of susceptible tomato plants with a dimeric clone of TYLCAxV-Sic2-[JO-Hom-13] induced severe leaf curling, yellowing and general plant stunting.