Chickpea Chlorotic Dwarf Virus L Strain Isolated from Cotton Induced Downward Leaf Curling Leading to Cupping in N. Benthamiana

Cotton leaf curl disease in the Indian subcontinent is associated with several distinct begomoviruses that interact with a disease-specific DNA satellite named Cotton leaf curl Multan betasatellite (CLCuMB). However, we have recently reported   the  distinct strain (L) of leafhopper transmitted chickpea chlorotic dwarf virus, CpCDV-L (genus Mastrevirus, family Geminiviridae) from cotton plants affected by leaf curl disease in a small number of plants. The question as to whether CpCDV-L contributes to the development of disease symptoms such as leaf curling and enations remain to be answered.  Standard methods were used to produce partial direct and tandem repeat constructs of CpCDV-L for Agrobacterium-mediated inoculation in the binary vector pBIN19.  The role of CpCDV-L  in the induction of typical disease symptoms was studied by Agrobacterium-mediated inoculation of the partial repeat construct to Nicotiana benthamiana. CpCDV-L induced  downward leaf curling leading to cupping in N. benthamiana.