Molecular characterization of banana bunchy top virus movement protein encoding DNA-M component isolated from hill banana and Grand Naine

Abstract

Genome of Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) which causes the bunchy top disease in banana is transmitted by banana black aphid (Pentalonia nigronervosa). BBTV genome comprises six circular, single stranded DNA components, each coding for a single protein. Movement protein is encoded by the DNA-M component of BBTV, which plays a major role in the virus movement, causing systemic infection in banana. We report the isolation of BBTV and complete sequencing of DNA-M from 5 samples of Hill Banana and 2 samples of Grand Naine cultivated in Tamil Nadu by using the designed abutting primers in the conserved region. Bioinformatic analysis revealed two near identical BBTV DNA-M sequences among the five samples in Hill Banana. BBTV DNA-M isolated from both the samples of Grand Naine were identical. Multiple sequence alignment of the isolated movement protein with other sequences deposited in GenBank showed very high levels of sequence conservation. Further, phylogenetic analysis was done with DNA-M to determine evolutionary relationship with other isolates of BBTV available in India. Characterization of the movement protein of BBTV is very significant in the context of its role as a suppressor of gene silencing in banana.

Keywords

• DNA isolation
• PCR amplification
• movement protein
• sequence analysis
• Hill Banana
• Grand Naine