scholarly journals First Report of Alfalfa Witches Broom Disease in Oman Caused by a Phytoplasma of the 16Sr II Group

Plant Disease ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 85 (12) ◽  
pp. 1287-1287 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Khan ◽  
K. M. Azam ◽  
M. L. Deadman ◽  
A. M. Al-Subhi ◽  
P. Jones

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a primary forage crop in the Sultanate of Oman. A new disease of alfalfa in Oman is characterized by proliferation of shoots and yellowing of leaves in 1- to 2-year-old plants and tillering of stems in 4- to 5-year-old plants. Annual losses due to this disease are estimated at more than US$ 23 million. Samples of healthy and infected alfalfa plants were collected from different regions. Total DNA was extracted according to Khadhair et al. (1), with minor modifications. Amplification of 16S rDNA was done using a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) approach with primers P1/P7 and R16F2n/R16R2. DNA from healthy leaves and sterile water was used as a negative control, while DNA from periwinkle infected with faba bean phyllody (16SrII-C), aster yellows (16SrI), tomato big bud (16SrII-D), sweet potato little leaf (16SrII-D), catharanthus phyllody (16SrVI), and sesame phyllody (16SrII-A) were used as positive controls and for restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) comparisons. Nested 1.25-kb PCR products from infected plant samples were subjected to RFLP analysis with restriction endonucleases RsaI, AluI, HaeIII, HhaI, EcoRI, TaqI, Tru9I, and Sau3AI. The analysis showed that the alfalfa witches' broom phytoplasma (AWBP) belonged to the 16SrII group (peanut witches' broom) and that the AWBP was most similar to sweet potato little leaf (16SrII-D) but distinct from “Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia,” the cause of lime witches' broom in Oman. Other phytoplasmas infecting alfalfa have been reported from Europe and North America (1,3), but they belong to the 16SrVI (clover phyllody) and 16SrI (aster yellows) groups. An alfalfa witches' broom reported from Italy (2) forms a separate grouping (4). To our knowledge, this is the first report of a phytoplasma from the peanut witches' broom group infecting alfalfa in the Sultanate of Oman. References: (1) A. H. Khadhair et al. Microbiol. Res. 152:259, 1997. (2) C. Marcone et al. J. Plant Pathol. 79:211, 1997. (3) R. D. Peters et al. Plant Dis. 83:488, 1999. (4) E. Seemuller et al. J. Plant Pathol. 80:3, 1998.

Plant Disease ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 330-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Villalobos ◽  
L. Moreira ◽  
C. Rivera ◽  
K. D. Bottner ◽  
I.-M. Lee

An outbreak of a witches' broom disease affected approximately 20% of plants in several chayote (Sechium edule (Jacq.) Schwartz) fields in the commercial production area of the Ujarrás Valley, Cartago Province, Costa Rica during 2000 and 2001. Affected chayote plants exhibited symptoms, including basal proliferation with severe foliage reduction, aborted flowers, and deformed fruits, suggestive of phytoplasmal infection. Two other symptomatic cucurbit species growing near the chayote fields were also identified. These species were tacaco plants (S. tacaco (Pitt.) C. Jeffrey), an edible cucurbit for domestic marketing in Costa Rica, showing severe size reduction of leaves and fruits, and Rytidostylis carthaginensis (Jacq.) Kuntze, a weed in chayote and tacaco fields, exhibiting abnormal tendril proliferation. Plants were analyzed for phytoplasma infection by a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, using the universal rRNA primer pair P1/P7 followed by R16F2n/R16R2 (2). Phytoplasmas were detected in all symptomatic samples (18 chayote, 6 tacaco, and 3 weed) tested but were undetectable in all asymptomatic samples (10 chayote, 6 tacaco, and 2 weed). Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of PCR products (16S rDNA sequences) by separate digestion with eight restriction enzymes (RsaI, HhaI, KpnI, BfaI, HaeIII, HpaII, AluI, MseI) revealed that a phytoplasma belonging to subgroup 16SrI-B in the aster yellows phytoplasma group (16SrI) was associated with chayote witches' broom (CWB). The same or very similar phytoplasmas were found in both symptomatic tacaco and R. carthaginensis plants. Phylogenetic analysis of 16SrDNA sequences also confirmed the CWB phytoplasma to be most similar to members of subgroup 16SrI-B. Similar diseases in chayote and other cucurbits have been reported in Brazil (3), Taiwan (1), and Mexico (4). The CWB phytoplasma differs from the phytoplasma (16SrIII-J subgroup) associated with chayote in Brazil. The identities of phytoplasmas associated with cucurbits in Taiwan and Mexico are unknown. The occurrence of an aster yellows group phytoplasma in chayote may pose a potential threat to continued production and exportation of this cash crop. To our knowledge, this is the first report of 16SrI-B subgroup phytoplasmas in naturally infected cucurbits in Costa Rica. References: (1) T. G. Chou et al. Plant Dis. Rep. 60:378, 1976. (2) I.-M. Lee et al. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 48:1153, 1998. (3) H. G. Montano et al. Plant Dis. 84:429, 2000. (4) E. Olivas. Rev. Fitopatol. (Lima) 13:14, 1978.


Plant Disease ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 83 (12) ◽  
pp. 1177-1177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Arocha ◽  
L. Gonzalez ◽  
E. L. Peralta ◽  
P. Jones

Yellow leaf syndrome (YLS) has been seen recently in sugarcane (Saccharum sp.) in Cuba. The primary symptom is a yellow discoloration of the midrib that may spread from the midrib to the lamina in cane 6 months and older. In certain cultivars, such as CP 5243, EPC 17-395, and F31-156, a reddish coloration has been observed. In severe cases, plants are stunted and can be pulled easily. YLS was first reported from Hawaii, followed by Brazil, Florida, and Australia, where it is associated with a luteovirus: sugarcane yellow leaf virus (ScYLV). However, in South Africa, YLS is associated with a phytoplasma: sugarcane yellow leaf phytoplasma (ScYLP) (1). A survey performed in Jovellanos, Matanzas, Cuba, for ScYLV, using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with antiserum provided by B. E. L. Lockhart, showed that only a small percentage of canes with YLS carried the virus. A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (1) was used to amplify phytoplasma 16S/23S rDNA from sugarcane leaves with YLS symptoms, also collected from Jovellanos. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis with HaeIII, RsaI, and AluI produced patterns similar to those of members of the aster yellows group for 260 of 277 samples tested. Sequencing of the 16S/23S intergenic rDNA PCR products, followed by BLAST (basic local alignment search tool) analysis, confirmed the high homology (97%) of these amplimers to the DNA of phytoplasmas belonging to the aster yellows I-A subgroup. This is the first report of ScYLV and ScYLP from Cuba, and it demonstrates the difficulty of determining the identity of the YLS pathogen based on symptoms alone. Reference: (1) C. P. R. Cronjé et al. Ann. Appl. Biol. 133:177, 1998.


Plant Disease ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 97 (11) ◽  
pp. 1504-1504 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Naderali ◽  
N. Nejat ◽  
Y. H. Tan ◽  
G. Vadamalai

The foxtail palm (Wodyetia bifurcata), an Australian native species, is an adaptable and fast-growing landscape tree. The foxtail palm is most commonly used in landscaping in Malaysia. Coconut yellow decline (CYD) is the major disease of coconut associated with 16SrXIV phytoplasma group in Malaysia (1). Symptoms consistent with CYD, such as severe chlorosis, stunting, general decline, and death were observed in foxtail palms from the state of Selangor in Malaysia, indicating putative phytoplasma infection. Symptomatic trees loses their green and vivid appearance as a decorative and landscape ornament. To determine the presence of phytoplasma, samples were collected from the fronds of 12 symptomatic and four asymptomatic palms in September 2012, and total DNA was extracted using the CTAB method (3). Phytoplasma DNA was detected in eight symptomatic palms using nested PCR with universal phytoplasma 16S rDNA primer pairs, P1/P7 followed by R16F2n/R16R2 (2). Amplicons (1.2 kb in length) were generated from symptomatic foxtail palms but not from symptomless plants. Phytoplasma 16S rDNAs were cloned using a TOPO TA cloning kit (Invitrogen). Several white colonies from rDNA PCR products amplified from one sample with R16F2n/R16R2 were sequenced. Phytoplasma 16S rDNA gene sequences from single symptomatic foxtail palms showed 99% homology with a phytoplasma that causes Bermuda grass white leaf (AF248961) and coconut yellow decline (EU636906), which are both members of the 16SrXIV ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma cynodontis’ group. The sequences also showed 99% sequence identity with the onion yellows phytoplasma, OY-M strain, (NR074811), from the ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’ 16SrI-B subgroup. Sequences were deposited in the NCBI GenBank database (Accession Nos. KC751560 and KC751561). Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis was done on nested PCR products produced with the primer pair R16F2n/R16R2. Amplified products were digested separately with AluI, HhaI, RsaI, and EcoRI restriction enzymes based on manufacturer's specifications. RFLP analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences from symptomatic plants revealed two distinct profiles belonging to groups 16SrXIV and 16SrI with majority of the 16SrXIV group. RFLP results independently corroborated the findings from DNA sequencing. Additional virtual patterns were obtained by iPhyclassifier software (4). Actual and virtual patterns yielded identical profiles, similar to the reference patterns for the 16SrXIV-A and 16SrI-B subgroups. Both the sequence and RFLP results indicated that symptoms in infected foxtail palms were associated with two distinct phytoplasma species in Malaysia. These phytoplasmas, which are members of two different taxonomic groups, were found in symptomatic palms. Our results revealed that popular evergreen foxtail palms are susceptible to and severely affected by phytoplasma. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a mixed infection of a single host, Wodyetia bifurcata, by two different phytoplasma species, Candidatus Phytoplasma cynodontis and Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris, in Malaysia. References: (1) N. Nejat et al. Plant Pathol. 58:1152, 2009. (2) N. Nejat et al. Plant Pathol. J. 9:101, 2010. (3) Y. P. Zhang et al. J. Virol. Meth. 71:45, 1998. (4) Y. Zhao et al. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 59:2582, 2009.


Plant Disease ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
pp. 132-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. Dong ◽  
L. Zhang ◽  
J. H. McBeath ◽  
Z. K. Zhang

Kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is an important cash crop in China. It is widely grown in the Yunnan Province in the southwest region. In November of 2008, a new disease was observed on kidney bean plants grown in Yuanmou County. Affected plants displayed symptoms that included numerous twisted lateral shoots with abundant, tiny trifoliate leaves that were approximately one-tenth the size of healthy leaves. Some affected leaves, which were slightly distorted and oblong to oval, were evident on diseased plants and appeared pale green. On plants with little leaf symptoms, flowers were poorly formed, withered or aborted, and no pods were present. Surveys conducted in areas affected by disease revealed the presence of the disease in approximately 10% of the plants. DNA was extracted from 0.1 g of petioles and midveins harvested from both diseased and symptomless plants with the Qiagen DNeasy Plant Mini Kit (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany). Plants were evaluated for phytoplasma infection by a nested PCR assay with phytoplasma specific ribosomal operon primer pair P1/Tint followed by R16F2/R16R2 (2,3). An rDNA product of approximately 1,250 bp was amplified from seven of seven diseased plants, whereas no products were amplified from symptomless plants or a negative control devoid of DNA. Digests of nested PCR products (approximately 200 ng) with endonucleases AluI, ScaI, or EcoRI revealed no differences in restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) among diseased plants. The amplicon was cloned and sequenced (GenBank Accession No. GQ336993). Comparison of in silico RFLP profiles with published profiles showed that kidney bean little leaf phytoplasma is a member of peanut witches' broom group 16SrII. Blast analysis of the kidney bean little leaf phytoplasma 16S rDNA sequence revealed that this strain is most similar (99.0%) to Syringa oblata yellows phytoplasma (Accession No. FJ263629) and to other phytoplasmas classified as group 16SrII members. Previously, phytoplasmas identified as 16SrII strains have been reported as probable cause of cactus witches' broom (1) and crotalaria witches' broom (4) in China. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a 16SrII phytoplasma infecting the kidney bean in China. References: (1) H. Cai et al. Plant Pathol. 51:394, 2002. (2) I.-M Lee et al. Phytopathology 83:834, 1993. (3) C. D. Smart et al. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 62:2988, 1996 (4) Z. H. Wang et al. Plant Pathol. 57:364, 2008.


Plant Disease ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 86 (10) ◽  
pp. 1177-1177 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Alminaite ◽  
R. E. Davis ◽  
D. Valiunas ◽  
R. Jomantiene

Symptoms of phyllody of flowers and general plant yellowing indicating possible phytoplasma infection were observed in diseased plants of hairy willow-weed (Epilobium hirsutum L., family Onagraceae) growing in a meadow at Harku Village near Tallin, Estonia. DNA was extracted from diseased E. hirsutum using a Genomic DNA Purification Kit (Fermentas AB, Vilnius, Lithuania) and used as a template in nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Ribosomal (r) DNA was initially amplified in PCR primed by phytoplasma universal primer pair P1/P7 (4) and reamplified in PCR primed by nested primer pair 16SF2n/16SR2 (F2n/R2) (1) as previously described (2). Products of 1.8 kbp and 1.2 kbp were obtained in PCR primed P1/P7 and F2n/R2, respectively, from all four symptomatic plants examined. These data indicated that the diseased E. hirsutum plants were infected by a phytoplasma, termed epilobium phyllody (EpPh) phytoplasma. The 16S rDNA amplified in PCR primed by nested primer pair F2n/R2 was subjected to restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis using restriction endonucleases AluI, MseI, HpaI, HpaII, HhaI, RsaI, HinfI, and HaeIII (Fermentas AB). On the basis of the collective RFLP profiles, EpPh phytoplasma was classified in group 16SrI (aster yellows phytoplasma group), subgroup B (aster yellows phytoplasma subgroup), according to the phytoplasma classification scheme of Lee et al. (3). The 1.8-kbp rDNA product of P1/P7-primed PCR, which included 16S rDNA, 16S-23S intergenic spacer region, and the 5′ -end of 23S rDNA, was cloned in Escherichia coli using the TOPO TA Cloning Kit (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, Ca) according to manufacturer's instructions and sequenced. The sequence was deposited in the GenBank database as Accession No. AY101386. This nucleotide sequence shared 99.8% sequence similarity with a comparable rDNA sequence (GenBank Accession No. AF322644) of aster yellows phytoplasma AY1, a known subgroup 16SrI-B strain. The EpPh phytoplasma sequence was highly similar (99.9%) to operons rrnA (GenBank Accession No. AY102274) and rrnB (GenBank Accession No. AY102273) from Valeriana yellows (ValY) phytoplasma infecting Valeriana officinalis plants in Lithuania. ValY phytoplasma was found to exhibit rRNA interoperon sequence heterogeneity (D. Valiunas, unpublished data). To our knowledge, this is the first report to reveal E. hirsutum as a host of phytoplasma and to demonstrate the occurrence of a plant pathogenic mollicute in the northern Baltic region. References: (1) D. E. Gundersen and I.-M. Lee. Phytopathol. Mediterr. 35:144, 1996. (2) R. Jomantiene et al. HortScience 33:1069, 1998. (3) I.-M. Lee et al. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 48:1153, 1998. (4) B. Schneider et al. Phlogenetic classification of plant pathogenic mycoplasma-like organisms or phytoplasmas. Page 369 in: Molecular and Diagnostic Procedures in Mycoplasmology, Vol 1, R. Razin, and J. G. Tully eds. Academic Press, San Diego, 1995.


Plant Disease ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 90 (6) ◽  
pp. 832-832 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Y. Olivier ◽  
G. Séguin-Swartz ◽  
D. Hegedus ◽  
T. Barasubiye

“Candidatus phytoplasma asteris” and related strains (i.e., aster yellows group 16SrI) have been associated with diseases of numerous plant species worldwide. Symptoms of aster yellows (AY) have been reported on rapeseed/canola (Brassica napus and B. rapa) crops in Saskatchewan (SK) and Manitoba, Canada since 1953 (2). Symptoms generally include stunting, virescence, leaf yellowing or purpling, phyllody, and formation of bladder-like siliques. A total of 120 mature B. rapa cv. AC Sunbeam plants exhibiting AY symptoms were collected in commercial fields near Medstead, SK during 2003 and 2004 (one field per year). As described previously (4), total genomic DNA was extracted from leaf, stem, roots, and seeds collected from the 120 plants, from seeds from the seed lots sown in 2003 and 2004, and from leaf and stem tissue of 20 greenhouse-grown plants from each seed lot. The latter DNA samples were assayed for phytoplasma DNA by a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay incorporating phytoplasma universal 16S rRNA primer pairs P1/P6 (1) followed by R16R2/R16F2 (4). Seed samples analyzed from the 2003 and 2004 seed lots and tissues of the 40 greenhouse-grown plants all tested negative for phytoplasma DNA using this assay. Leaf, stem, and/or root tissues of all plants collected in the field in 2003 (60 plants) and 2004 (60 plants) and 71.1% (315 of 443) of seed samples (five seeds per sample) tested positive for the presence of phytoplasma DNA, as evidenced by the presence of an expected band of 1.2 kb on the gels after the second amplification with primers R16R2/R16F2. Nested PCR products from plant samples collected in 2003 were cloned, sequenced, and compared with phytoplasma sequences archived in the GenBank nucleotide database. On this basis, phytoplasmas detected in plants or their seeds collected in 2003 were found to be most similar (98.8%) to CHRY (Accession No. AY180956), a 16SrI-A subgroup strain, or were most similar (98.9%) to isolate 99UW89 (Accession no. AF268407), a known 16SrI-B subgroup strain. Sequences of phytoplasmas detected in plants or their seeds in 2004 were obtained by direct sequencing of rRNA products amplified from samples using PCR incorporating primer pairs P1/P6 and P4/P7 (3). Analysis of sequence data revealed that phytoplasmas in these plants were all most similar (99.5%) to AY-WB (Accession no. AY389828), a 16SrI-A subgroup member. The nucleotide sequences have been deposited with GenBank under Accession nos. DQ404346, DQ404347, and DQ411470. To our knowledge, this is the first report of 16SrI-A and 16SrI-B subgroup phytoplasmas infecting plants and seed of B. rapa in Saskatchewan. References: (1) I.-M. Lee et al. Phytopathology, 83:834, 1993. (2) W. E. Sackston. Can. Plant Dis. Surv. 33:41, 1953. (3) L. B. Sharmila et al. J. Plant Biochem. Biotech. 13:1, 2004. (4) E. Tanne et al. Phytopathology, 91:741, 2001.


2013 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 325-334
Author(s):  
Hanna Śliwa ◽  
Tadeusz Malinowski ◽  
Maria Kamińska

Symptoms of shoot dieback and leaf yellowing followed by leaf chlorosis were observed in naturally infected roses 'Frisco' and 'Suela', cultivated in a commercial greenhouse in Poland. The presence of phytoplasma was demonstrated in affected plants by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with R16Fl/RO and Pl/P7 primer pairs in the first round followed by a second one with R16F2n/R2, fA/rA, Pc399/P1694, R16(I)Fl/Rl and Pl/fArev primer pairs. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of PCR products (primed with primers R16F2n/R2) was done using enzymes AluI, MseI, RsaI and HpaII. Restriction profiles obtained with these enzymes were identical to those of reference strain AY1 belonging to aster yellows phytoplasma group, subgroup I-B (16SrI-B). Nested PCR products from roses 'Frisco' and 'Suela' were sequenced. Analysis of sequences confirmed that the phytoplasma infecting those roses could be classified to aster yellows phytoplasma group, subgroup B.


Plant Disease ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. 447-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
I.-M. Lee ◽  
R. A. Dane ◽  
M. C. Black ◽  
Noel Troxclair

In early spring 2000 carrot crops in southwestern Texas were severely infected by an outbreak of phyllody associated with aster yellows phytoplasma. Cabbage crops that had been planted adjacent to these carrot fields began to display previously unobserved symptoms characteristic of phytoplasma infection. Symptoms included purple discoloration in leaf veins and at the outer edges of leaves on cabbage heads. Proliferation of sprouts also occurred at the base of the stem and between leaf layers of some plants, and sprouts sometimes continued to proliferate on extended stems. About 5% of cabbage plants in the field exhibited these symptoms. Two symptomless and four symptomatic cabbage heads were collected in early April from one cabbage field. Veinal tissues were stripped from each sample and used for total nucleic acid extraction. To obtain specific and sufficient amount of PCR products for analysis, nested PCR was performed by using primer pairs (first with P1/P7 followed by R16F2n/R16R2) (1,2) universal for phytoplasma detection. A specific 16S rDNA fragment (about 1.2 kb) was strongly amplified from the four symptomatic but not from the two asymptomatic samples. The nested PCR products obtained from the four symptomatic samples were then analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) using the restriction enzymes MseI, HhaI, and HpaII, and the RFLP patterns were compared to the published patterns of known phytoplasmas (1). The resulting RFLP patterns were identical to those of a phytoplasma belonging to subgroup B of the aster yellows phytoplasma group (16SrI). These RFLP patterns were also evident in putative restriction sites observed in a 1.5 kbp nucleotide sequence of the 16S rDNA. This is the first report of aster yellows phytoplasma associated disease symptoms in cabbage in Texas. The occurrence of cabbage proliferation coincided with the presence of high populations of the insect vector, aster leafhopper. References: (1) I.-M. Lee et al. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 48:1153, 1998. (2) B. Schneider et al. 1995. Molecular and Diagnostic Procedures in Mycoplasmology, Vol. I. Academic Press, San Diego, CA.


Plant Disease ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 99 (2) ◽  
pp. 293-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Beuve ◽  
T. Candresse ◽  
M. Tannières ◽  
O. Lemaire

Grapevine Pinot gris virus (GPGV), belonging to the genus Trichovirus of the family Betaflexiviridae, was first identified by siRNA sequencing in northern Italy in 2012, in the grapevine varieties Pinot gris, Traminer, and Pinot Noir, which exhibited mottling and leaf deformation (1), and in asymptomatic vines, with a lower frequency. Since 2012, this virus has also been reported in South Korea, Slovenia, Greece (3), Czech Republic (2), Slovakia (2), and southern Italy (4). In 2014, GPGV was identified by Illumina sequencing of total RNAs extracted from leaves of the Merlot variety (Vitis vinifera) grafted onto Gravesac rootstock originated from a vineyard in the Bordeaux region of France. This Merlot plant exhibited fanleaf-like degeneration symptoms associated with Tomato black ring virus (TBRV) infection. Cuttings were collected in 2010 and maintained thereafter in a greenhouse. The full-length genome was assembled either de novo or by mapping of the Illumina reads on a reference GPGV genome (GenBank FR877530) using the CLC Genomics workbench software (CLC Bio, Qiagen, USA). The French GPGV isolate “Mer” (7,223 nucleotides, GenBank KM491305) is closely related to other European GPGV sequences; it exhibits 95.4% nucleotide identity with the reference Italian isolate (NC_015782) and 98 to 98.3% identity with Slovak isolates (KF134123 to KF134125). The higher divergence between French and Italian GPGV isolates was mainly due to differences in the 5′ extremity of the genome, as already shown with the Slovak GPGV isolates. RNA extracted from phloem scrapings of 19 cv. Merlot vines from the same plot collected in 2014 were analyzed by RT-PCR using the specific primer pair Pg-Mer-F1 (5′-GGAGTTGCCTTCGTTTACGA-3′) and Pg-Mer-R1 (5′-GTACTTGATTCGCCTC GCTCA-3′), designed on the basis of alignments of all available GPGV sequences from GenBank. The resulting amplicon of 770 bp corresponded to a fragment of the putative movement protein (MP) gene. Seven (35%) of the tested plants gave a strong positive amplification. Three RT-PCR products were directly sequenced and showed 99.3 to 99.5% identity within the MP gene of the GPGV-Mer isolate. Given the mixed viral infection status of the vines found infected by GPGV, it was not possible to associate a specific symptomatology with the presence of GPGV. Furthermore, similar RT-PCR tests were also performed on RNA extracts prepared from two plants of cv. Carignan that originated from a French grapevine collection, exhibiting fanleaf-like symptoms without any nepovirus detection. These samples similarly gave a strong positive amplification. The sequences obtained from the two Carignan vines showed 98.4 and 97.8% identity with the GPGV-Mer isolate. To our knowledge, this is the first report of GPGV in France. GPGV has been discovered in white and red berry cultivars, suggesting that its prevalence could be important in European vineyards (2). Further large-scale studies will be essential to determine the world prevalence of GPGV and to evaluate its potential effects on yield and on wine quality, as well as to shed light on GPGV epidemiology. Of particular concern is whether, like the other grapevine-infecting Trichovirus, Grapevine berry inner necrosis virus (GPGV) can be transmitted by the eryophid mite Colomerus vitis. References: (1) A. Giampetruzzi et al. Virus Res. 163: 262, 2012. (2) M. Glasa et al. Arch. Virol. 159: 2103, 2014. (3) G. P. Martelli, J. Plant Pathol. 96: S105, 2014. (4) M. Morelli et al. J. Plant Pathol. 96:431, 2014.


Plant Disease ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 95 (6) ◽  
pp. 767-767
Author(s):  
J. H. McBeath ◽  
P. J. Laski ◽  
M. Cheng

During a disease survey conducted in 2009 in Alaska, one potato plant (Solanum tuberosum) with symptoms characteristic of aster yellows, such as apical leaves rolling inward, leaves turning yellow or purple, and presence of aerial tubers, was found in a commercial field. Total DNA was extracted from leaves, stems, and roots of the symptomatic and symptomless plants with a DNeasy Plant Mini Kit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA) according to the instructions of the manufacturer. A nested PCR was carried out with the first round primer pair P1/P7 followed by second round primer pair R16F2n/R16R2 (1,3). An approximate 1.2-kb PCR product was amplified from the symptomatic plant, but not symptomless plants. The PCR products from R16F2n/R16R2 were digested using restriction enzymes AluI, BfaI, BstUI, HhaI, HpaI, KpnI, MseI, and RsaI. The restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns were compared with those from known phytoplasma strains (1) and they matched the patterns for aster yellows subgroup B (16SrI-B). After P1/P7 amplification, the nested PCR product of primer pair P1A/16S-SR (2) was purified with a MiniElute Gel Extraction kit (Qiagen), sequenced by GENEWIZ (South Plainfield, NJ), and the sequence data analyzed by iPhyClassifier software (4). The results indicated that the sequence (GenBank Accession No. HQ599231) had 99.65% similarity to ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’ reference strain (GenBank Accession No. M30790). The RFLP similarity was identical (coefficient 1.00) to the reference pattern of 16Sr group I, subgroup B (GenBank Accession No. NC 005303). To our knowledge, this is the first report on the molecular identification of aster yellows phytoplasma associated with potatoes in Alaska. The source of the phytoplasma and pathway of disease transmission is currently under investigation. References: (1) I.-M. Lee et al. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 48:1153, 1998. (2) I.-M. Lee et al. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 54:337, 2004. (3) C. D. Smart et al. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 62:2988, 1996. (4) Y. Zhao et al. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 59:2582, 2009.


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