‘Candidatus Phytoplasma lycopersici’, a phytoplasma associated with ‘hoja de perejil’ disease in Bolivia

Abstract

New diseases known locally as 'hoja de perejil' of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) and 'brotes grandes' of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) were first recognized in surveys of production fields in Bolivia during [2000][2001][2002][2003]. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) witches' broom and little leaf diseases of native weeds Morrenia variegata and mora-mora (Serjania perulacea) were also identified near to production fields. Phytoplasma aetiology was attributed to each of these diseases following detection and initial identification of aster yellows group (16SrI) phytoplasmas in all five diseased plant species. While potato, alfalfa and mora-mora plants contained indistinguishable 16SrI-B strains, 'hoja de perejil' (THP) and morrenia little leaf (MVLL)-associated phytoplasma strains shared 97.5 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with 'Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris' and related strains and ,95 % similarity with all other 'Candidatus Phytoplasma' species. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the THP and MVLL phytoplasmas represent a novel lineage within the aster yellows (16SrI) group and, on the basis of unique 16S rRNA gene sequences, we propose that THP and MVLL phytoplasmas represent 'Candidatus Phytoplasma lycopersici', with THP as the reference strain.

Occurrence and incidence of phytoplasmas of the 16SrII-D subgroup on solanaceous and cucurbit crops in Egypt

“…Six different taxonomic phytoplasma groups infect tomato plants wordwide (Blancard 2009;Davis et al 1997;Shaw et al 1993;Hiruki and Wang 2004;Anfoka et al 2003;Choueiri et al 2007;Garnier 2000;Lee et al 1993;Arocha et al 2007; . Eggplant diseases have also been reported to be associated with phytoplasmas of different groups ; Schneider et al 1995b;Sertkaya et al 2007;Kelly et al 2009;Al-Subhi et al 2011;Amaral-Mello et al 2010).…”

Detection of Phytoplasma on Indian Fig. (Opuntia ficus-indica Mill) in Mexico Central Region

“…MOU15442) [26] , Papaya bunchy-top disease (subgroup 16SrII) (Genbank Accession No. DQ286948) [4] and soybean phyllody phytoplasma (subgroup 16SrII-C) (Genbank Accession No. EF186816) [20] .…”

Plant health clinics in Bolivia 2000—2009: operations and preliminary results

“…Plant clinics strengthen links between extension and research: four new disease records have been published in a peer-reviewed journal (Jones et al 2005a, b, c, d) and a major research article which describes a new phytoplasma from tomato (Arocha et al 2007). Plant clinics give poor farmers in Bolivia access to the best diagnostic services in the world.…”

“…Identifying phytoplasma in tomatoes (Arocha et al 2007) allowed LADIPLANTAS to have a large impact. CIAT staff did not have the expertise or equipment to identify this new tomato disease.…”