Genetic diversity among phytoplasmas infecting Opuntia species: virtual RFLP analysis identifies new subgroups in the peanut witches'-broom phytoplasma group

Molecular identification of phytoplasmas in fasciated cacti and succulent species and associated hormonal perturbation

“…E. coerulescens fasciation phytoplasma isolate (EcFP), S. stapeliiformis fasciation phytoplasma isolate (SsFP), and O. cylindrica fasciation phytoplasma isolate (OcFP) were more closely related to Papaya yellow crinkle phytoplasma and Eggplant phyllody phytoplasma, while O. gigantea fasciation phytoplasma isolate (OgFP) stood out of this subclade (Figure 2). Phytoplasmas belonging to Peanut witches' broom group (16SrII) and Aster yellows group (16SrI) were detected in Opuntia species showing witches' broom symptoms (Wei et al 2007;Cai et al 2008). Phytoplasma representing different groups have been reported to be associated with stem fasciation in different plant species in Lilium martagon (16SrI-C) by Bertaccini et al (2005), while in Petunia spp., the phytoplasma belongs to the AY group (Chung & Huh 2008); in Senna surattensis, it belongs to 16SrXII and 16SrV , in Cichorium intybus, it belongs to 16SrV-B (Li et al 2012); in Crotalaria spectabilis, it belongs to the 16SrI-B subgroup (Kumar et al 2010); and in Asparagus officinalis (16SrI-B) in Czech Republic (Fránová & Petrzik 2010).…”

“…The four strains were given the following names: E. coerulescens fasciation phytoplasma (EcFP), O. gigantea fasciation phytoplasma (OgFP), O. cylindrica fasciation phytoplasma (OcFP), and S. stapeliiformis fasciation phytoplasma (SsFP). The results revealed that the four cacti isolates are not identical even though they shared identities that ranged from 99.4 to 99.9, and they also shared high identities from 99.5 to 99.9 with Papaya yellow crinkle phytoplasma (White et al 1998), eggplant phyllody phytoplasma (Omar & Foissac 2012) -which was previously classified as 16SrII-D subgroup -and Peanut witches-broom phytoplasma of 16SrII-A (Gundersen et al 1994), and more than 99.2% with Euphorbia heterophylla phytoplasma (not classified); however, they have identities that ranged from 98.6 to 99.4 with Cactus witches-broom phytoplasma different subgroups according to Cai et al (2008). Lower identities of 94.1-95.3 were with the Euphorbia dendroides fasciation phytoplasma, Euphorbia linifolia fasciation phytoplasma, and Euphorbia pulcherrima phytoplasma; hence, they belong to different 16Sr subgroups.…”

Polymerase Chain Reaction for Phytoplasmas Detection

“…Because the RFLP patterns characteristics of each phytoplasmas are conserved, unknown phytoplasmas can be identified by comparing the patterns of the unknown with the available RFLP patterns for www.intechopen.com known phytoplasmas without co-analyses of all reference representative phytoplasmas (94,162,163,25). In this case it is preferable to use bigger number of enzymes to achieve identification (38).…”

New hosts of 16SrI phytoplasma group associated with edible Opuntia ficus-indica crop and its pests in Mexico

“…Some of these were ornamentals such as Opuntia monacantha in Lebanon (Choueiri et al, 2005); and Opuntia sp. and Zygocactus truncatus in China (Cai et al, , 2008, and on Cactus in USA (Hodgetts et al, 2008). Also in Mexico phytoplasmas were associated with ornamental cacti such as Echinopsis subdenudata and Opuntia sp.…”