title: 'Candidatus Phytoplasma balanitae' associated with witches' broom disease of Balanites triflora.
abstract: A phytoplasma was identified in naturally infected wild Balanites triflora plants exhibiting typical witches' broom symptoms (Balanites witches' broom: BltWB) in Myanmar. The 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that BltWB phytoplasma had the highest similarity to that of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma ziziphi' and it was also closely related to that of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma ulmi'. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the BltWB phytoplasma clustered as a discrete subclade with Elm yellows phytoplasmas. RFLP analysis of the 16S rRNA gene including the 16S-23S spacer region differentiated the BltWB phytoplasma from 'Ca. P. ziziphi', 'Ca. P. ulmi' and 'Candidatus Phytoplasma trifolii'. Analysis of additional ribosomal protein (rp) and translocase protein (secY) gene sequences and phylogenetic analysis of BltWB showed that this phytoplasma was clearly distinguished from those of other 'Candidatus Phytoplasma' taxa. Taking into consideration the unique plant host and the restricted geographical occurrence in addition to the 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, the BltWB phytoplasma is proposed to represent a novel taxon, 'Candidatus Phytoplasma balanitae'.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Biology, School of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Nang Kyu Kyu
authors.initials: NKK
authors.lastname: Win
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Biology, School of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Yeol
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: DiSTA, Patologia vegetale, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Assunta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bertaccini
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigetou
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Namba
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Biology, School of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hee-Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Jung
mesh_terms: D032430:Balanites / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D002052:Myanmar; D010802:Phylogeny; D045582:Phytoplasma / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S