Abstract
Although not the first virus geminivirus discovered, Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) has been one of the most studied. TYLCV impairs tomato cultures worldwide. Within less than 20 years TYLCV has spread from the Middle East to North America, Africa, Europe and Far East Asia. Molecular analyses have shown that the Tomato leaf curl disease is caused by several virus species and many strains related but different from the Middle Eastern TYLCV. This virus is an ideal object to study such topics in molecular virology as diverse as replication, expression, evolution, recombination and interaction with host factors. TYLCV is transmitted by the whitefly vector to plants in a circulative manner. The interactions between the virus, the vector and the target plant are the object of intense scrutiny. TYLCV causes a serious disease of tomato that needs to be avoided by all means. Hence ways to escape inoculation by whiteflies have been implemented, which include nets, chemical treatment to curb down whitefly populations, traps and natural enemies. Breeding for resistance has started already 30 years ago by introgressing resistance traits found in wild tomato species into the susceptible domesticated tomato. Breeding has been backed by genetic studies of resistance, discovery of QTLs and polymorphic DNA markers linked to resistance, and screening for resistance genes. Commercial lines with good tolerance to TYLCV are available; some are effective against several different TYLCV species, others are not. Altogether the study of TYLCV and the results achieved in molecular virology, genetics, plant-virusinsect interactions, IPM and breeding for resistance, can serve as model for similar studies involving other deleterious geminiviruses infecting important crops, both for basic and applied interests.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Emerging Geminiviral Diseases and their Management |
Publisher | Nova Science Publishers, Inc. |
Pages | 37-57 |
Number of pages | 21 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781616686208 |
State | Published - Feb 2011 |