Detection and characterization of 16SrI-B phytoplasmas associated with yellow leaf disease of arecanut palm in India

During a survey on arecanut palms in Sullia district of Karnataka, yellowing of leaves and shedding of both mature and immature fruits were observed in June 2013. The disease association with phytoplasmas was confirmed using nested polymerase chain reaction with phytoplasma specific ribosomal primers, which amplified the 1 6S rRNA gene in leaves, roots and rachis tissues of symptomatic arecanut palms. BLAST analysis of ∼1.2kb sequence of amplicon from symptomatic leaf samples revealed 99% sequence identity with 16S rDNA sequences of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’ (16SrI). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rDNA also confirmed the clustering of areacanut yellow leaf disease phytoplasma with members of 16SrI group. Real and virtual RFLP analysis suggested that the arecanut phytoplasmas in the present study belongs to 16SrI-B subgroup. The identification of 16SrI-B subgroup phytoplasma in yellow leaf disease of arecanut is the first report from India.

[1]  S. Holkar,et al.  Characterization of a 16SrI-B Subgroup Phytoplasma Associated with Sugarcane Leaf Yellows Disease in India , 2015, Sugar Tech.

[2]  G. Rao,et al.  Natural occurrence of 16SrI group phytoplasmas on purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.), a medicinal weed species in India , 2014 .

[3]  V. Baranwal,et al.  Identification of sugarcane grassy shoot-associated phytoplasma and one of its putative vectors in India , 2013, Phytoparasitica.

[4]  S. Nair,et al.  Phylogenetic analysis identifies a 'Candidatus Phytoplasma oryzae'-related strain associated with yellow leaf disease of areca palm (Areca catechu L.) in India. , 2013, International journal of systematic and evolutionary microbiology.

[5]  B. T. Ramappa.  Economics of Areca nut Cultivation in Karnataka, a Case Study Of Shivamogga District. , 2013 .

[6]  Sanjeev Kumar,et al.  Molecular Detection And Characterization of Phytoplasma Associated with Periwinkle , 2012 .

[7]  V. Baranwal,et al.  Sequence analysis of 16S rRNA and secA genes confirms the association of 16SrI-B subgroup phytoplasma with oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) stunting disease in India. , 2012 .

[8]  S. Lakhanpaul,et al.  Molecular characterization and phylogeny of phytoplasma associated with bunchy top disease in its new host Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) in India reveal a novel lineage within the 16SrI group , 2011, European Journal of Plant Pathology.

[9]  M. Nei,et al.  MEGA5: molecular evolutionary genetics analysis using maximum likelihood, evolutionary distance, and maximum parsimony methods. , 2011, Molecular biology and evolution.

[10]  R. Manimekalai,et al.  Molecular Detection of Phytoplasma Associated with Yellow Leaf Disease in Areca Palms (Areca catechu) in India. , 2010, Plant disease.

[11]  R. Manimekalai,et al.  Molecular Detection of 16SrXI Group Phytoplasma Associated with Root (Wilt) Disease of Coconut (Cocos nucifera) in India. , 2010, Plant disease.

[12]  Wei Wei,et al.  Construction of an interactive online phytoplasma classification tool, iPhyClassifier, and its application in analysis of the peach X-disease phytoplasma group (16SrIII) , 2009, International journal of systematic and evolutionary microbiology.

[13]  T. Sano,et al.  Are phytoplasmas the etiological agent of yellow leaf disease of Areca catechu in India , 2007 .

[14]  R. Davis,et al.  'Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris', a novel phytoplasma taxon associated with aster yellows and related diseases. , 2004, International journal of systematic and evolutionary microbiology.

[15]  D. Gundersen-Rindal,et al.  Revised Classification Scheme of Phytoplasmas based on RFLP Analyses of 16S rRNA and Ribosomal Protein Gene Sequences , 1998 .

[16]  Ing-Ming Lee,et al.  Ultrasensitive detection of phytoplasmas by nested-PCR assays using two universal primer pairs. , 1996 .

[17]  C. Hiruki,et al.  Amplification of 16S rRNA genes from culturable and nonculturable mollicutes , 1991 .