Characterization and genetic diversity of Potato yellow mosaic virus from the Caribbean

The begomovirus Potato yellow mosaic virus (PYMV) is responsible of significant yield losses in tomato in Guadeloupe. Four field isolates from Guadeloupe were analyzed in term of their host range using three inoculation methods (mechanical, grafting and insect vector), sequences analysis of PCR fragments and phylogenetic analysis of an infectious clone, PYMV-[GP]. Capsicum annuum, Datura stramonium, Nicotiana benthamiana, N. tabacum 'Xanthi NC', Petunia hybrida, and Solanum tuberosum were found to be hosts. All isolates from Guadeloupe, Martinique, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic were closely related to PYMV-[GP]. Sequence identity between PYMV-[GP] and PYMV-Ve from Venezuela and PYMTV from Trinidad and Tobago clearly confirmed that it is a new strain of PYMV.