Soybean, an important legume crop, suffers from Mungbean Yellow Mosaic India Virus (MYMIV) stress. Whiteflies, Bemisia tabaci Genn., transmit MYMIV DNA A. This virus severely reduces crop productivity. In the absence of epidemiological information, no definite management strategy has been developed so far. Interaction between viruliferous whitefly and soybean at initial stages is crucial in epidemic development, and thus the interaction appears to be critical for developing management strategies. For this purpose, knowledge of the MYMIV virus-whitefly interaction is required. But the studies on the transmission of MYMIV by whiteflies in soybeans are limited. Thus, considering the importance of YMD in soybean, the present investigation was carried out to determine the MYMIV-whitefly relationship in soybean. MYMIV DNA A's complementary strand, ORF AC4, encodes a symptom-determinate protein. After artificially inoculating susceptible soybean cultivar JS 335 with viruliferous whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci Asia II 1) in a glasshouse, whitefly population and plant tissue maturity were linked to yellow mosaic disease (YMD). Thus, an average of five whiteflies and less than 15-day-old leaves were needed to produce a greater than 60% disease incidence. DNA A from MYMIV isolate VR2 New Delhi (accession: OQ473638) was grouped with strain Mu2. In in silico research, ORF AC4 found the catalytic domain in lysyl oxidases, a common and unique class of quinoenzymes that catalyse the oxidative deamination of primary amines to their aldehydes while reducing molecular oxygen to hydrogen peroxide. Thus, MYMIV ORF AC4 products cause chlorophyll yellowing through oxidation processes. The present study thus revealed that due to the viable potential primary inoculum delivered by whiteflies, it is essential for MYMIV to cause YMD in healthy soybeans and also that the genomic region of MYMIV encoded with the AC4 protein can oxidise functional groups of amino acids in proteins, which promotes the symptom development in soybeans in the form of a yellow mosaic.

Bemisia tabaci Asia II 1, MYMIV, DNA A, and AC4

Thus, the present study revealed that due to viable potential primary inoculum delivered by whiteflies, it is essential for MYMIV to cause YMD in healthy soybean. A minimum of five whiteflies can be used for studying disease under controlled conditions. The genomic region of MYMIV encoded with the AC4 protein has the ability to oxidize functional groups of amino acids in proteins, which promoted symptom development in soybeans in the form of a yellow mosaic.

M.N. Rudra Gouda, Vineeth Vijayan, Emmadi Venu, Bichhinna Maitri Rout and Lokesha G. (2023). Elucidating Whitefly Bemisia tabaci Asia II 1 Transmission of MYMIV and the Possible Role of ORF AC4 in YMD of Soyabean. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(8): 148-158.