Quantification of a plant pathogen is essential to study its population dynamic in various conditions and to relate symptom expression with pathogen concentration. Up to now, very few methods have been published to quantify phytoplasmas. So, the objective of this work was to establish a method able to quantify the Apple Proliferation (AP) phytoplasma populations in periwinkles. The present work...

A real time PCR assay conjugated with the fluorescent SYBR Green I dye has been developed for rapid, sensitive and quantitative detection of 'Ca. Phytoplasma pyri', 'Ca. P. prunorum' and 'Ca. P. mali', quarantine members of apple proliferation (16 SrX) group. The selected primers amplify specifically a target of 217-bp fragment from the 16 Sr gene region of the 16 SrX group and not from any oth...

This study was conducted to detect for the first time the occurrence of phytoplasma in symptomatic faba bean plants in Saudi Arabia. Faba bean is one of the most widely grown protein-producing food legumes. Ten leaf and stem samples showing symptoms of phyllody and stunting were collected from plants grown in Agricultural Research Station field Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia during December, 2011....

Phytoplasmas are specialised bacteria that are obligate parasites of plant phloem tissue and insects. These bacteria have resisted all attempts of cell-free cultivation. Genome research is of particular importance to analyse the genetic endowment of such bacteria. Here we review the gene content of the four completely sequenced 'Candidatus Phytoplasma' genomes that include those of 'Ca. P. aste...

Several economically relevant phytoplasma-associated diseases are described together with an update of phytoplasma taxonomy and major biological and molecular features of phytoplasmas. Outlook about persepectives and future work to contain spread of these diseases are also reported.

Part of the gyrase A gene (gyrA) of Acholeplasma laidlawii was cloned and incorporated directly downstream from a 6 x His tag segment of the pQE expression vector. The 23-kDa fusion protein was expressed as a 6 x His-tagged protein in Escherichia coli. The fusion protein was purified and used as an antigen for rabbit immunization. Western immunoblot analysis revealed that the antiserum raised a...

The grapevine cultivar Grk, a close relative of Crljenak ka{telanski/Zinfandel, is grown exclusively in southern Croatia. Grapevine yellows-like symptoms were observed on vines in the vineyards in Lumbarda (southern Croatia) and in propagated grapevines near Zadar and Zagreb. The majority of the detected phytoplasma isolates belonged to the 16SrI group. However, RFLP pattern and R16F2n/R2 fragm...

Abstract “Huanglongbing” (HLB) is one of the most devastating diseases citrus orchards worldwide. Samples from 183 plants different cultivars and rootstock/cultivar combinations, showing HLB symptoms in three Caribbean countries (Cuba, Jamaica, Guadeloupe-France), were collected to verify possible co-infection ‘ Candidatus Phytoplasma’ Liberibacter’ species. The 64% samples resulted positive Ca...

in 2010- 2012 surveys, witches'- boom disease of tomato was observed in borazjan area (bushehr province, iran). agent of the disease was transmitted from tomato to tomato and eggplant by grafting and to madagascar periwinkle via dodder inoculation, inducing phytoplasma-type symptoms in inoculated plants. presence of phytoplasma in naturally affected tomatoes and all symptomatic graft and dodder...