Premium
Amaranthus caudatus subsp. mantegazzianus: A new host of ‘ Candidatus Phytoplasma hispanicum’ (subgroup 16Sr XIII‐A)
Author(s) -
Noelting Maria Cristina,
Ferreira Jacson,
Galvão Sarah Rodrigues,
Greizerstein Eduardo José,
Molina Maria del Cármen,
López César Gabriel,
Bedendo Ivan Paulo
Publication year - 2019
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.12852
Subject(s) - phytoplasma , biology , amaranth , crop , host (biology) , panicle , botany , pathogen , phylogenetic tree , genotype , restriction fragment length polymorphism , horticulture , agronomy , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , gene
In Argentina, amaranth is a promising crop due to high nutritional quality and ability to grow in a diversity of environments. In areas cultivated with amaranth, were observed plants exhibiting slow growth, deformed leaves, proliferation of shoots and malformed lateral panicles. Field survey revealed up to 96% disease incidence and 92% of the seeds collected from mother plants produced diseased seedlings. A phytoplasma was detected in association with seedlings and adult plants using nested PCR assays. Molecular identification by computer‐simulated RFLP and phylogenetic analysis evidenced the occurrence of a ‘ Candidatus Phytoplasma hispanicum’‐related strain, affiliated with 16SrXIII‐A subgroup. The findings implicate amaranth as a new host for this subgroup and as a potential reservoir of the pathogen for other cultivated species. In addition, to the best of our knowledge, this study reports for the first time the presence of 16SrXIII‐A phytoplasma in Argentina and in South America. Furthermore, transmission assays pointed that naturally infected seed is an important vehicle of dissemination of the pathogen, threatening the expansion of the crop for new geographical areas.