Identification of grass white leaf disease associated with a ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’-related phytoplasma strain (16SrI-B and cpn60 I-IIIB) in Mexico

Abstract

Samples of a wild grass showing white leaf symptoms were collected in 2015 in Veracruz, Mexico around sugarcane plantations. DNA amplification, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of a 'Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris'-related strain in the plants that were positive using 16S-based and cpn60 PCR assays. The strain determined to be associated with the grass white leaf disease was identified as a member of the 16SrI-B subgroup and a member of the cpn60 I-IIIB subgroup through in silico RFLP analysis. This is the first report of phytoplasma-infected grass plants associated with white leaf disease in Mexico. The implications of these findings are vital for the management of other plant hosts of the family Poaceae such as sugarcane and corn, and point to weedy grasses as a potential source of phytoplasma inoculum for nearby crop plants. Keywords 16SrI-B. 'Candidatus phytoplasma asteris'. cpn60 UT. Grass white leaf disease Forage grasses are widely susceptible to diseases associated with phytoplasmas. Two of the best-described diseases are the Napier grass stunt (NGS) disease, affecting Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum), and Bermuda grass white leaf

First report of a 'Candidatus Phytoplasma trifolii'-related strain (16SrVI-A) associated with white leaf disease in Spirea japonica

“…1) were observed in Şanlıurfa province, Turkey. White leaf disease was previously associated with phytoplasmas in some plant species (Çağlar et al 2019;Pérez-López and Dumonceaux 2017;Ratchaseema et al 2021;Song et al 2016). Phytoplasma-infected Spirea spp.…”