Characterisation of the Macluraviruses Occurring in India

The genus Macluravirus of the family Potyviridae currently contains six recognized and two tentative virus species. In India, so far only two macluraviruses eg., large cardamom chirke virus (LCCV) and cardamom mosaic virus (CdMV) infecting large cardamom (Amomum subulatum) and small cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), respectively have been studied well. Recently, a new macluravirus, yam mottling virus has been tentatively identified in mild mosaic disease of yam (Dioscorea spp) in southern India. LCCV is distributed in large cardamom cultivated in the North-East sub-Himalayan mountains and CdMV in small cardamom cultivated in southern India. Both these macluraviruses cause chlorotic streak mosaic disease in cardamom. CdMV and LCCV are known in India since long time and considerable infromation has been generated. This chapter summarizes the work on the biological and molecular properties of macluraviruses occurring in India.