Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl China Virus Impairs Photosynthesis in the Infected Nicotiana benthamiana with βC1 as an Aggravating Factor

Tomato yellow leaf curl China virus is a species of the widespread geminiviruses. The infection of Nicotiana benthamiana by Tomato yellow leaf curl China virus (TYLCCNV) causes a reduction in photosynthetic activity, which is part of the viral symptoms. βC1 is a viral factor encoded by the betasatellite DNA (DNAβ) accompanying TYLCCNV. It is a major viral pathogenicity factor of TYLCCNV. To elucidate the effect of βC1 on plants’ photosynthesis, we measured the relative chlorophyll (Chl) content and Chl fluorescence in TYLCCNV-infected and βC1 transgenic N. benthamiana plants. The results showed that Chl content is reduced in TYLCCNV A–infected, TYLCCNV A plus DNAβ (TYLCCNV A + β)–infected and βC1 transgenic plants. Further, changes in Chl fluorescence parameters, such as electron transport rate, F(v)/F(m), NPQ, and qP, revealed that photosynthetic efficiency is compromised in the aforementioned N. benthamiana plants. The presense of βC1 aggravated the decrease of Chl content and photosynthetic efficiency during viral infection. Additionally, the real-time quantitative PCR analysis of oxygen evolving complex genes in photosystem II, such as PsbO, PsbP, PsbQ, and PsbR, showed a significant reduction of the relative expression of these genes at the late stage of TYLCCNV A + β infection and at the vegetative stage of βC1 transgenic N. benthamiana plants. In summary, this study revealed the pathogenicity of TYLCCNV in photosynthesis and disclosed the effect of βC1 in exacerbating the damage in photosynthesis efficiency by TYLCCNV infection.