title: Cloning, expression analysis, and sequence diversity of genes encoding two different immunodominant membrane proteins in poinsettia branch-inducing phytoplasma (PoiBI).
abstract: Poinsettia branch-inducing phytoplasma (PoiBI) is a phytopathogenic bacterium that infects poinsettia, and is associated with the free-branching morphotype (characterized by many axillary shoots and flowers) of many commercially grown poinsettias. The major membrane proteins of phytoplasmas are classified into three general types, that is, immunodominant membrane protein (Imp), immunodominant membrane protein A (IdpA), and antigenic membrane protein (Amp). These membrane proteins are often used as targets for the production of antibodies used in phytoplasma detection. Herein, we cloned and sequenced the imp and idpA genes of PoiBI strains from 26 commercial poinsettia cultivars. Although the amino acid sequences of the encoded IdpA proteins were invariant, those of the encoded Imp varied among the PoiBI isolates, with no synonymous nucleotide substitution. Western blotting and immunohistochemical analyses revealed that the amount of Imp expressed exceeded that of IdpA, in contrast to the case of a related phytoplasma-disease, western X-disease, for which the major membrane protein appears to be IdpA, not Imp. These results suggest that even phylogenetically close phytoplasmas express different types of major membrane proteins.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yutaro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Neriya
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugawara
authors.forename: Kensaku
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maejima
authors.forename: Masayoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Komatsu
authors.forename: Nami
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Minato
authors.forename: Chihiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.forename: Shigeyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kakizawa
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamaji
authors.forename: Kenro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oshima
authors.forename: Shigetou
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Namba
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D028481:Euphorbia / Q000382:microbiology; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D014644:Genetic Variation; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D045582:Phytoplasma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D008565:Membrane Proteins