Role of Alphasatellite in Begomoviral Disease Complex

Begomoviral Disease and Alphasatellite

Abstract

A circular single stranded satellite, called as alphasatellite (initially identified as DNA-1), was
characterised and confirmed to be associated with the Geminivirus begomovirus-betasatellite complexes.
Alphasatellites are single stranded DNA (ssDNA) components, frequently accompanying with monopartite
begomovirus or some time with bipartite begomovirus and/or betasatellite complex. The genome of
alphasatellite DNAs are nearly half size of its helper virus genome and have no similarity with it. Furthermore,
their function in begomovirus-betasatellite complex is still unclear. Recent advances in application of
molecular tools helped in finding new viruses and allied satellite components that further help in advancing
our understanding o f this satellite DNA and this evolution