New Disease Reports (2005) 11, 14.

First report of a 'Candidatus phytoplasma asteris' isolate associated with a witches' broom disease of alfalfa in Bolivia

P. Jones 1*, Y. Arocha 2 and G. Plata 3

*phil.jones@bbsrc.ac.uk

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Accepted: 29 Mar 2005

During a survey in 2003, alfalfa (Medicago sativa) plants showing typical phytoplasma witches' broom and little leaf symptoms, were collected from fields in Limon Pampa, Rio Chico, Bolivia. Samples were evaluated by nested PCR using 16S rDNA primers P1/P7 and R16F2n/R16R2. PCR products of c.1250bp and identical RFLP profiles following digestion with the restriction endonucleases HaeIII, RsaI and AluI, were produced for all samples. PCR products were purified, directly sequenced and the sequence deposited in GenBank (Accession No. AY 725211). The sequence was compared using the BLAST protocol with those of other phytoplasmas in GenBank and had the highest similarity (98%) with the phytoplasma from ash witches' broom disease (GenBank Accession No. AY568302); a member of the 16SrI aster yellows group ('Ca. Phytoplasma asteris') (Firrao et al., 2004). Alfalfa witches' broom diseases caused by phytoplasmas have been reported from Canada ('Ca. Phytoplasma trifolii', Khadair & Hiruki, 1995; Firrao et al., 2004), Italy ('Ca. Phytoplasma phoenecium', Marcone et al., 1997; Firrao et al., 2004) and Oman ('Ca. Phytoplasma aurantifolia', Khan et al., 2001; Firrao et al., 2004). This is the first record of alfalfa witches' broom disease in Bolivia and the first report of an isolate of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris' infecting alfalfa.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Department for International Development (UK) through the Global Plant Clinic. Work in the UK was done under Defra plant health licence no 174B/4612(09/2003). Y. Arocha thanks the Royal Society (UK) for financial support.


References

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  2. Khadhair AH, Hiruki CH, Wang S, 1997. Molecular detection of alfalfa witches'-broom phytoplasma in four leafhopper species associated with infected alfalfa plants. Microbiological Research 152, 269-75.
  3. Khan AJ, Azam KM, Deadman ML, Al-Subhi AM, Jones P, 2001. First report of alfalfa witches broom disease in Oman caused by a phytoplasma of the 16SrII group. Plant Disease 85, 1287.
  4. Marcone C, Ragozzino A, Seemüller E, 1997. Detection and identification of phytoplasmas infecting vegetable, ornamental and forage crops in Southern Italy. Journal of Plant Pathology 79, 211-217.

This report was formally published in Plant Pathology

©2005 The Authors