Association of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma australiense' with green petal and lethal yellows diseases in strawberry

The identity of phytoplasmas detected in strawberry plants with green petal (SGP) and lethal yellows (SLY) diseases was determined by RFLP analysis of the 16S rRNA gene and adjacent spacer region (SR). RFLP and sequence comparisons indicated that the phytoplasmas associated with SGP and SLY were indistinguishable and were most closely related to ' Candidatus Phytoplasma australiense', the phytoplasma associated with Australian grapevine yellows, papaya dieback and Phormium yellow leaf diseases. This taxon lies within the aster yellows strain cluster. Primers based on the phytoplasma tuf gene, which amplify only members of the AY strain cluster, amplified a DNA product from the SGP and SLY phytoplasmas. Primers deduced from the 16S rRNA/SR of P. australiense that amplify only members of this taxon amplified rDNA sequences from the SGP and SLY phytoplasmas. Primers that selectively amplify members of the faba bean phyllody (FBP) phytoplasma group, the most commonly occurring phytoplasma group in Australia, did not amplify rDNA from the SGP and SLY phytoplasmas.     

Transmission of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma pyri’ by naturally infected Cacopsylla pyri to peach,an approach to the epidemiology of peach yellow leaf roll (PYLR) in Spain

Peach orchards in the northeast of Spain were severely affected in 2012 by a previously unreported disease in this area. The symptoms included early reddening, leaf curling, decline, abnormal fruits, and in some cases death of the peach trees. All the infected peach samples were positive for ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma pyri’, but none were infected by the ‘Ca. Phytoplasma prunorum’. In this work, potential vectors able to transmit ‘Ca. Phytoplasma pyri’ from pear to peach and between peach trees were studied and their infective potential was analysed at different times of the year. Transmission trials of the phytoplasma with potential vectors to an artificial feeding medium for insects and to healthy peach trees were conducted. Additionally, isolated phytoplasmas were genetically characterized to determine which isolates were able to infect peach trees. Results showed that the only insect species captured inside peach plots that was a carrier of the ‘Ca. Phytoplasma pyri’ phytoplasma was Cacopsylla pyri. Other insect species captured and known to be phytoplasma transmitters were present in very low numbers, and were not infected with ‘Ca. Phytoplasma pyri’ phytoplasma. A total of 1928 individuals of C. pyri were captured in the peach orchards, of which around 49% were phytoplasma carriers. All the peach trees exposed to C. pyri in 2014, and 65% in 2015, were infected by ‘Ca. Phytoplasma pyri’ 1 year after exposure, showing that this species is able to transmit the phytoplasma to peach. Molecular characterization showed that some genotypes are preferentially determined in peach.