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‘ Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’ and ‘ Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia’, New Phytoplasma Species Infecting Apple Trees in Iran
Author(s) -
HashemiTameh Mahdis,
Bahar Masoud,
Zirak Leila
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of phytopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.53
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1439-0434
pISSN - 0931-1785
DOI - 10.1111/jph.12216
Subject(s) - phytoplasma , aster yellows , biology , restriction fragment length polymorphism , 16s ribosomal rna , nested polymerase chain reaction , primer (cosmetics) , candidatus , botany , polymerase chain reaction , gene , genetics , chemistry , organic chemistry
Abstract During several surveys in extensive areas in central Iran, apple trees showing phytoplasma diseases symptoms were observed. PCR tests using phytoplasma universal primer pairs P1A/P7A followed by R16F2n/R16R2 confirmed the association of phytoplasmas with symptomatic apple trees. Nested PCR using 16SrX group‐specific primer pair R16(X)F1/R1 and aster yellows group‐specific primer pairs rp(I)F1A/rp(I)R1A and fT ufAy/ rT ufAy indicated that apple phytoplasmas in these regions did not belong to the apple proliferation group, whereas aster yellows group‐related phytoplasmas caused disease on some trees. Restriction fragment length polymorphism ( RFLP ) analyses using four restriction enzymes ( Hha I, Hpa II, Hae III and Rsa I) and sequence analyses of partial 16S rRNA and rp genes demonstrated that apple phytoplasma isolates in the centre of Iran are related to ‘ Ca . Phytoplasma asteris’ and ‘ Ca . Phytoplasma aurantifolia’. This is the first report of apples infected with ‘ Ca . Phytoplasma asteris’ in Iran and the first record from association of ‘ Ca . Phytoplasma aurantifolia’ with apples worldwide.