Open AccessCloning, expression analysis, and sequence diversity of genes encoding two different immunodominant membrane proteins in poinsettia branch‐inducing phytoplasma ( PoiBI )
Author(s) -
Neriya Yutaro,
Sugawara Kyoko,
Maejima Kensaku,
Hashimoto Masayoshi,
Komatsu Ken,
Minato Nami,
Miura Chihiro,
Kakizawa Shigeyuki,
Yamaji Yasuyuki,
Oshima Kenro,
Namba Shigetou
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2011.02384.x
Subject(s) - phytoplasma , biology , poinsettia , gene , membrane protein , nucleic acid sequence , genetics , virology , microbiology and biotechnology , polymerase chain reaction , botany , restriction fragment length polymorphism , membrane , inflorescence , bract
Abstract Poinsettia branch‐inducing phytoplasma ( PoiBI ) is a phytopathogenic bacterium that infects poinsettia, and is associated with the free‐branching morphotype (characterized by many axillary shoots and flowers) of many commercially grown poinsettias. The major membrane proteins of phytoplasmas are classified into three general types, that is, immunodominant membrane protein ( Imp ), immunodominant membrane protein A ( IdpA ), and antigenic membrane protein ( Amp ). These membrane proteins are often used as targets for the production of antibodies used in phytoplasma detection. Herein, we cloned and sequenced the imp and idpA genes of PoiBI strains from 26 commercial poinsettia cultivars. Although the amino acid sequences of the encoded IdpA proteins were invariant, those of the encoded Imp varied among the PoiBI isolates, with no synonymous nucleotide substitution. Western blotting and immunohistochemical analyses revealed that the amount of Imp expressed exceeded that of IdpA , in contrast to the case of a related phytoplasma‐disease, western X‐disease, for which the major membrane protein appears to be IdpA , not Imp . These results suggest that even phylogenetically close phytoplasmas express different types of major membrane proteins.