Indian strain of Sri Lankan Cassava Mosaic Virus associated with cassava mosaic disease in Sri Lanka

Cassava has been an important crop in Sri Lanka for many years. However, its cultivation has faced challenges due to the cassava mosaic disease (CMD). While a particular strain of the Sri Lankan Cassava Mosaic Virus (SLCMV-Col) has been identified as the primary cause of CMD in the wet zone of Sri Lanka, little attention has been given to the virus responsible for the disease in the dry zone, where cassava cultivation is predominant. The study seeks to identify the virus, explore its evolutionary relationship and identify potential recombinants. Analysis of the resulting DNA-A sequences through bioinformatics tools revealed that the virus is indeed SLCMV, though distinct from the strain previously identified in the wet zone of Sri Lanka. Instead, this newly identified strain shares over 99% sequence identity with the strain reported in India.

木薯多年来一直是斯里兰卡的重要栽培作物。然而其种植产业因木薯花叶病（cassava mosaic disease, CMD）面临诸多严峻挑战。尽管斯里兰卡湿区的木薯花叶病已被证实由斯里兰卡木薯花叶病毒科伦坡株系（Sri Lankan Cassava Mosaic Virus-Col, SLCMV-Col）引发，为该病的主要致病原，但在木薯种植占主导地位的斯里兰卡旱区，引发该病的病毒却鲜有研究关注。本研究旨在鉴定该区域的致病病毒，探究其进化关系，并识别潜在的重组体。通过生物信息学工具对所得的DNA-A序列进行分析，结果表明该病毒确为斯里兰卡木薯花叶病毒（Sri Lankan Cassava Mosaic Virus, SLCMV），但与此前在斯里兰卡湿区鉴定的株系存在显著差异；这一新鉴定的株系与印度报道的对应株系的序列同源性超过99%。