Candidatus Phytoplasma meliae (subgroups 16SrXIII-G and XIII-C) has been reported in association to chinaberry yellowing disease in Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. In Argentina, this disease constitutes a major phytosanitary problem for chinaberry forestry production. To date, no genome information of this phytoplasma and others from 16SrXIII-group has been published, hindered its characterization at genomic level. Here we analyze the draft genome of Candidatus Phytoplasma meliae strain ChTYXIII obtained from a chinaberry-infected plant using a metagenomics approach. The draft assembly consists of twenty-one contigs with a total length of 751.949 bp. The annotation contains 669 CDSs, 34tRNA and one set of rRNA operons. Metabolic pathways analysis indicated that the ChTYXIII contains the complete core genes for glycolysis and functional sec system for translocation of proteins. The phylogenetic relationships inferred 132 single copy genes (orthologues core) analysis revealed that Ca. P. meliae constitutes a clade closely related to the Ca. australiense and Ca. P. solani. Thirty-one putative effectors were identified, among which a homologue to SAP11 was found and others that have only been described in this pathogen. This work provides relevant genomic information for Ca. P. meliae and constitutes the first genome described for the group 16SrXIII (MPV).

Bellis perennis virescence (BellVir) phytoplasma affects ornamental daisies in Argentina. It has been previously classified within the X-disease group, subgroup III-J, which is one of the most important and widely distributed in South America, affecting diverse plant hosts. In this study, we compared 16S rRNA, ribosomal proteins rpIV and rps3, secA and immunodominant proteins imp and idpA genes of BellVir phytoplasma with previously described ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma’ species. The 16S rRNA gene of strain BellVir shared less than 97.5% with all previously described ‘Ca. Phytoplasma’ taxa except for ‘Ca. Phytoplasma pruni’. According to the recommended rules for the description of novel taxa within ‘Ca. Phytoplasma’, it should be considered as ‘Ca. P. pruni’-related strain. However, multilocus analysis showed further molecular diversity that distinguished BellVir phytoplasma from ‘Ca. Phytoplasma pruni’. Besides, BellVir phytoplasma and 16SrIII-J related strains have a geographical distribution restricted to South America, where ‘Ca. P.pruni’ has not been detected. Two insect vectors have been reported to transmit 16SrIII-J phytoplasmas, which have not been found to transmit ‘Ca. Phytoplasma pruni’. Having a wide host range, they have not been detected in Prunus persica. Therefore, based on multilocus sequence analyses, specific vector transmission and geographical distribution, we propose the recognition of the novel phytoplasma species ‘Ca. Phytoplasma platensis’, within the X-disease clade, with Bellis perennis virescence phytoplasma as the reference strain.