Alternanthera yellow vein virus (AYVV) infecting Eclipta prostrata plant is associated with two novel alphasatellites in Pakistan

Whitefly-transmitted begomoviruses (family geminiviridae; genus begomovirus) are known to occur in the indian subcontinent for a long time but recently emerged as major pathogens on food and fiber crops. during a field survey in 2012-13,eclipta (e.) prostrata leaf samples showing vein-yellowing symptoms were collected from two different districts of the punjab,pakistan. amplification of the full-length viral molecules and associated satellite molecules was performed through rolling circle amplification (rca) and polymerase chain reaction (pcr). cloning,sequencing and sequence analysis of full-length virus and associated satellites showed e. prostrata as a source of multiple and diverse alphasatellite molecules associated with alternanthera yellow vein virus (alyvv). alyvv was a recombination-free virus,showing 95% sequence homology with alyvv from china. e. prostrata carried two different alphasatellite molecules i.e. tomato yellow leaf curl china alphasatellite (tylccnaecl) and a new specie,eclipta yellow vein alphasatellite (ecyva). tylccnaecl showed 88% sequence homology to tomato yellow leaf curl china alphasatellite (tylccna) while ecyva showed 72% sequence homology with holly-hock yellow vein alphasatellite. there was no betasatellite molecule found to be associated with vein yellowing disease of e. prsotrata. the tylccnaecl was a recombinant molecule with recombination of alpha-rep region from tylccna,while a-rich region from tobacco curly shoot alphasatellite. this is the first report of a recombinant alphasatellite. the other molecule ecyva did not show any level of recombination with other alphasatellites. the data presented here would help in understanding the role of weeds in speedy evolution of begomoviruses associated satellites.