AN INSIGHT OF COTTON LEAF CURL VIRUS: A DEVASTATING PLANT PATHOGENIC BEGOMOVIRUS

Genome of plant viruses consists of either RNA or DNA. DNA viruses can be categorized into two types, (1) circular double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), these viruses are able to replicate through the process of reverse transcription from RNA (the caulimoviruses and badnaviruses), (2) viruses that have circular single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), which replicate through a dsDNA intermediate (the Geminivirus and nanoviruses). Begomoviruses are whiteflies transmitted geminiviruses and infect many economically important dicotyledonous crops including cotton, potato, tomato, cassava and chili. Begomoviruses cause leaf curl disease in cotton. In this review article, the Cotton Leaf Curl Virus (CLCuV) has been introduced systematically.