Identification by computer-simulated RFLP of phytoplasmas associated with eggplant giant calyx representative of two subgroups, a lineage of 16SrIII-J and the new subgroup 16SrIII-U.
Symptoms resembling giant calyx, a graft-transmissible disease, were observed on 1-5 % of eggplant (aubergine; Solanum melongena L.) plants in production fields in Sao Paulo state, Brazil. Phytoplasmas were detected in 12 of 12 samples from symptomatic plants that were analysed by a nested PCR assay employing 16S rRNA gene primers R16mF2/R16mR1 followed by R16F2n/R16R2. RFLP analysis of the resulting rRNA gene products (1.2 kb) indicated that all plants contained similar phytoplasmas, each closely resembling strains previously classified as members of RFLP group 16SrIII (X-disease group). Virtual RFLP and phylogenetic analyses of sequences derived from PCR products identified phytoplasmas infecting eggplant crops grown in Piracicaba as a lineage of the subgroup 16SrIII-J, whereas phytoplasmas detected in plants grown in Bragança Paulista were tentatively classified as members of a novel subgroup 16SrIII-U. These findings confirm eggplant as a new host of group 16SrIII-J phytoplasmas and extend the known diversity of strains belonging to this group in Brazil.
Amaral Mello
Ana Paula de Oliveira
APO
Departamento de Fitopatologia e Nematologia - Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz', Universidade de São Paulo, Caixa Postal 09, 13418-900 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.
Eckstein
Bárbara
B
Departamento de Fitopatologia e Nematologia - Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz', Universidade de São Paulo, Caixa Postal 09, 13418-900 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.
Flores
Daniela
D
Departamento de Fitopatologia e Nematologia - Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz', Universidade de São Paulo, Caixa Postal 09, 13418-900 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.
Kreyci
Patrícia Fabretti
PF
Departamento de Fitopatologia e Nematologia - Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz', Universidade de São Paulo, Caixa Postal 09, 13418-900 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.
Bedendo
Ivan Paulo
IP
Departamento de Fitopatologia e Nematologia - Escola Superior de Agricultura 'Luiz de Queiroz', Universidade de São Paulo, Caixa Postal 09, 13418-900 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.
D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001938:Brazil; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D045582:Phytoplasma / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D032323:Solanum melongena / Q000382:microbiology*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S