Molecular Identification and Genetic Analysis of the Virus Causing Yellow Leaf Disease in Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) in Padang and Pariaman, West Sumatra

Abstract

One of the major challenges in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) production in Padang and Pariaman, West Sumatra, is the prevalence of yellow leaf disease, which is caused by plant viral infections. The incidence of this disease in eggplant crops in these regions reaches up to 90%, with a severity level of approximately 53.08%. This study aims to identify the causative virus of yellow leaf disease in eggplant plants in Padang and Pariaman and to determine the phylogenetic relationship of the virus with other yellow leaf-inducing viruses previously reported in the GenBank database. The research involved several stages: field observation and symptom description of yellowing leaves, viral RNA isolation, cDNA synthesis, DNA isolation, and DNA amplification (PCR) using specific primers. The CMV 1F/CMV 1R primers (650 bp) were used to detect viruses in the Cucumovirus group, MJ1/MJ2 primers (320 bp) for the Potyvirus group, and SPG1/SPG2 primers (912 bp) for the Geminivirus group. Genomic sequencing and phylogenetic tree analysis were then conducted to determine the genetic relationships of the identified virus. Field observations in Marunggi, Kuranji, and Sitoga villages identified eggplant plants showing typical symptoms of Geminiviridae infection. Molecular identification using PCR confirmed the presence of a geminivirus (912 bp) as the causative agent of the yellow leaf disease. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the geminivirus identified in Padang is closely related to the Tomato yellow leaf curl Kanchanaburi virus (TYLCVKaV) from Thailand, with a nucleotide similarity of 95.30%. Nucleotide sequence characterization of surrounding weed species indicated the presence of a virus closely related to Tomato yellow leaf curl New Delhi virus, with a high similarity of 97.03%.The virus responsible for yellow leaf disease in eggplant plants in Padang and Pariaman, West Sumatra, was identified as a Geminivirus belonging to the family Geminiviridae. This virus is closely related to the Tomato yellow leaf curl Kanchanaburi virus (TYLCVKaV) from Thailand.