Association of chili leaf curl betasatellite with tomato leaf curl disease

Leaf samples of Solanum lycopersicum exhibiting the tomato leaf curl disease (ToLCD) symptoms were collected from different genotypes. PCR amplifications confirmed the presence of Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (ToLCNDV) and betasatellite. Molecular analysis of betasatellite nucleotide sequences showed high level of sequence identity (99%) with chili leaf curl betasatellite (ChLCB) previously reported from chili in Pakistan. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first natural occurrence of ChLCB with ToLCD in Pakistan. Therefore, the association of ToLCNDV with ChLCB is also a component of begomovirus-betasatellite complex that may also affect other cropping systems.