Phytoplasmas are dangerous bacteria severely infecting agricultural production worldwide. In the present study, identification of phytoplasmas tomato plants showing symptoms such as small leaves, flower abnormalities, stunting, witches' broom, and reddening was performed. Five plants, two symptomatic three asymptomatic, were tested to verify phytoplasma infection. Total DNA isolated from 5 leaf...

In order to increase the efficiency of cacao tree resistance to witches' broom disease, which is caused by Moniliophthora perniciosa (Tricholomataceae), we looked for molecular markers that could help in the selection of resistant cacao genotypes. Among the different markers useful for developing marker-assisted selection, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) constitute the most common type o...

The witches’ broom disease of lime trees is a destructing disease caused by the bacterium Candidatus <span style="font-variant: normal; fon...

The interaction amongst papain-like cysteine-proteases (PLCP) and their substrates and inhibitors, such as cystatins, can be perceived as part of the molecular battlefield in plant-pathogen interaction. In cacao, four cystatins were identified and characterized by our group. We identified 448 proteases in cacao genome, whereof 134 were cysteine-proteases. We expressed in Escherichia coli a PLCP...

Witches' broom disease of lime (WBDL), caused by 'Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia', is a very serious disease of acid limes. The disease destroyed more than one million lime trees in the Middle East. WBDL results in the production of small, clustered leaves in some branches of lime trees. Branches develop symptoms with time and become unproductive, until the whole tree collapses within 4-8 ...