Natural recombination between Tomato yellow leaf curl virus-Is and Tomato leaf curl virus

The complete genome sequences (2791 and 2793 nt) of isolates of Tomato yellow leaf curl virus-Is (TYLCV-Is) from Spain (SP72/97) and Portugal (Port2/95) were determined. These isolates are closely related to TYLCV-Is isolates reported in Japan (Japan-A and Japan-S) and Israel (Israel/ Mild). Comparison of all sequenced isolates of TYLCV-Is showed that part of the genome comprising the intergenic region and the 5'-end of the rep gene of the Iran and Israel isolates was not closely related to that of other isolates. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that the Israel and Iran isolates may have chimeric genomes that have arisen by recombination between TYLCV-Is-like and tomato leaf curl virus (ToLCV)-like ancestors. The TYLCV-Is donors of the Iran and the Israel genomes were closely related to each other and to other known TYLCV-Is isolates. However, the ToLCV donors differed from each other, although both were related to ToLCV isolates from India (Bangalore-2 and Bangalore-4).