Viruses maximize their limited coding space through strategies that increase transcript and protein diversity. In mammalian viruses, splicing is a well-established mechanism for proteome expansion, ye...

Plant viruses cause symptoms with devastating consequences for agriculture. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying symptom development in viral …

Plant infecting viruses use ingenious techniques for optimal distribution. TYLCV, for example, manipulates both its host plant and its distributor.

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) seriously impacts tomato production throughout tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. It has a broad ge…

ABSTRACT Since 1997 two distinct geminivirus species, Tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus (TYLCSV) and Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), have caused a similar yellow leaf curl disease in tomat...

Viruses spreading to crops via tiny insects is one of agriculture’s biggest problems. Liang et al. uncovered the two-part strategy used by the tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) to hijack the…

Viruses maximize their limited coding space through strategies that increase transcript and protein diversity. In mammalian viruses, splicing is a well-established mechanism for proteome expansion, ye...

The identification of a non-canonical SUMO-interacting motif (SIM) within the Rep protein of tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) reveals a connection between viral replication and a protein modifica...

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a major vegetable crop grown worldwide for its culinary versatility

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a major vegetable crop grown worldwide for its culinary versatility

The identification of a non-canonical SUMO-interacting motif (SIM) within the Rep protein of tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) reveals a connection between viral replication and a protein modifica...

Tomato yellow leaf curl disease is a major viral disease severely affecting tomato crops in the Mediterranean region, leading to reduced crop yield and significant economic losses. The disease is caused by monopartite begomoviruses belonging to the Geminiviridae family, primarily tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus (TYLCSV) and tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), which often co-infect tomato plants, promoting the emergence of recombinant viral genomes. To investigate the diversity and evolutionary dynamics of these viruses, symptomatic plants collected from agricultural sites in Sicily between 2020 and 2022, along with archived plant samples from 1994 to 1999, were analysed. For each collection site, leaves from symptomatic plants were pooled to form representative samples. Total nucleic acids were extracted and subjected to rolling circle amplification to enrich circular viral genomes. The amplified products were sequenced using Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) long-read sequencing to obtain full-length viral genomes. Bioinformatic analyses revealed that archived samples mainly contained TYLCSV-related sequences, confirming its historical predominance in Sicilian agroecosystems. Recent samples, by contrast, were dominated by TYLCV-derived recombinants such as TYLCV-IS141- and TYLCV-IS76-like variants, indicating a temporal shift in the structure of the viral population. Furthermore, a distinct group of newly emerged recombinants, provisionally referred to as TYLCV-IMS54, was identified in the most recent samples. Their genome comprises a TYLCV backbone, a 54-nt segment from TYLCSV located downstream of the stem-loop region and a 341-nt region derived from TYLCV-Mild. These results demonstrate the importance of continuous viral population monitoring through ONT-based sequencing to detect emerging variants that may influence disease management strategies in tomato crops and highlight the central role of recombination in shaping begomovirus populations.

Compare 50 mesh vs 75 mesh insect nets for greenhouses: pest exclusion, airflow, temperature impact, and crop-specific strategies to choose the right mesh.

Learn how insect netting works, how to choose the right mesh size for each pest and crop, and how to balance airflow, microclimate, and pest exclusion in greenhouses.