First report of Pepper leaf curl Bangladesh virus strain associated with bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) yellow mosaic disease in India

A severe yellow mosaic disease with a significant disease incidence was observed on bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) during a survey of different locations around Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India in 2008. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was carried out using total DNA isolated from infected leaf samples and a pair of begomovirus-specific primers. The expected size (∼1300 bp) amplicon was detected from all four symptomatic samples but not from samples of healthy plants, indicating the presence of a begomovirus infection. A PCR amplicon was cloned and sequenced (GenBank Accession reference EU888908). Basic local alignment search tool analysis revealed the newly derived sequence had the highest identities (99–97%) with Pepper leaf curl Bangladesh virus (PepLCBV) sequences. The phylogenetic analysis of the virus sequences with selected begomovirus sequences also revealed the closest relationship with PepLCBV. These results suggest an association of PepLCBV with yellow mosaic disease of bitter gourd; PepLCBV on bitter gourd (M. charantia) is a new record in India.