Molecular Characterization of Chilli Veinal Mottle Virus Infecting King Chilli (Capsicum Chinense Jacq.) of North East Indian State Assam

Abstract

King chilli crop of Assam, India infected with Chilliveinal mottle virus (ChiVMV) belongs togenus potyvirus of the family potyviridae suffered from necrosis of leaves, leaf puckering, filiform leavesand eventually plant death. King chilli crop particularly suffers from decline complex due to high incidenceof viral diseases. Prominent distribution of Chilliveinal mottle virus (ChiVMV) in King chilli growingregion of Jorhat and Golaghat districts of Assam state were considered to study the prevalence andassociation with symptoms associated. Molecular indexing of samples from 30 chilli plantation orchards ofJorhat and Golaghat districts using reverse transcription (RT)-PCR targeting the coat protein (CP) region ofChiVMV genome revealed a high incidence and wide prevalence of the virus. Out of a total of 96 chillisamples collected from different orchards of Jorhat and Golaghat districts, 41 chilli samples (42.70%) werepositive for ChiVMV. From Golaghat out of 34 samples 14 were found positive to ChiVMoV (41.17%),whereas in Jorhat out of 62 samples 27 were found positive to the virus (43.54%). Present study through theextensive surveys and molecular indexing work, conclusively reported the association of ChiVMV withdiverse symptoms likemosaic/mottling, vein banding, leaf puckering /rugose/leaf distortion, narrow leaflamina, shoe-string of leaves/leaf curling and stunted growth in King chilli. ChiVMV isolate from Jorhat,Assam were characterized based on sequencing of coat protein (CP) gene and phylogenetic analysis.Sequence analysis of CP gene showed that ChiVMV from Jorhat shared 100% identity with China isolates.This was reported as the first record of ChiVMVincidence in King chillicrop of Assam.