Begomoviruses of Solanaceae in the Southern Provinces of Iran

Begomoviruses are important plant viruses, especially in Solanaceous plants. This study aimed to identify begomoviruses in the plants of the family Solanaceae in southern Iran. During 2019–2020, 53 samples were collected from plants with viral symptoms from different regions in Fars, Kerman, and Hormozgan provinces. Begomovirus infections were assessed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, using universal primers of PCRv181/Primer Bc. The 500-bp amplified DNA fragment was sequenced in seven samples. A specific primer was used to evaluate the presence of Tomato Leaf Curl New Delhi Virus (ToLCNDV) in the samples with confirmed Begomovirus infection. The DNA of Begomovirus was detected in 22 out of 53 samples, and an expected DNA fragment of 500bp was amplified. Based on a search conducted by the BLAST software and the sequenced DNA fragments, Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV) was found in tomatoes collected from Fars, Kerman, and Hormozgan provinces, Tomato Leaf Curl Palampur Virus (ToLCPMV) from tomato of Hormozgan, peppers from Fars and Hormozgan provinces, and eggplant from Fars province. The obtained results indicated the infection of one pepper sample collected from Hormozgan province to ToLCNDV. The sequences were deposited in the GenBank. According to the results, TYLCV, ToLCPMV, and ToLCNDV were prevalent in the plants of the family Solanaceae in the southern provinces of Iran, and TYLCV was the dominant Begomovirus in this region. Overall, ToLCPMV has a wide host range and is a threat to tomato cultivation. This is the first report of ToLCNDV in pepper from Hormozgan province.