Complete genome sequence of a novel monopartite begomovirus infecting sweet potato in China

The complete genome sequence of a novel monopartite begomovirus, isolate G-YU-12-10, was obtained from sweet potato samples exhibiting severe leaf curl symptoms in Xinxiang, Henan Province, China. The genome sequence consisted of 2766 nucleotides and encoded two open reading frames (ORFs) (AV1 and AV2) in the viral-sense strand and four ORFs (AC1-AC4) in the complementary-sense strand. The genome of isolate G-YU-12-10 was closely related to other sweet-potato-infecting begomoviruses (sweepoviruses) and shared the highest nucleotide sequence identity (89.0 %) with sweet potato leaf curl China Sichuan virus (SPLCCSV, KC488316). Thus, the G-YU-12-10 isolate represents a novel species according to the demarcation criteria of species in the genus Begomovirus, for which the name Sweet potato leaf curl Henan virus (SPLCHnV) is proposed. Interspecific recombination analysis supported the recombination hypothesis, indicating that recombination with other begomoviruses had taken place within AC2 and AC3 ORFs of SPLCHnV and also in the non-coding intergenic region (IR).