Genetic Diversity and Geographical Distribution of Phytoplasmas Associated with Potato Purple Top Disease in Mexico

Abstract

Potato purple top (PPT) disease has caused severe economic losses in some potato (Solanum tuberosum) growing areas of Mexico. Two distinct phytoplasma strains belonging to the aster yellows and peanut witches'-broom groups (16SrI and 16SrII groups) have been associated with PPT disease in several regions of Mexico. However, there has been no previous large-scale survey in the main potato growing areas in Mexico to analyze the diversity and geographical distribution of phytoplasmas. Potato samples were collected between 2003 and 2006 and were analyzed by nested polymerase chain reaction assays. On the basis of results from nucleotide sequence comparisons and virtual restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of 16S rDNA, four different phytoplasma groups were detected in potato growing areas in Mexico. The aster yellows group (16SrI) ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’ was distributed in all potato growing areas, whereas peanut witches'-broom group (16SrII) ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia’ was detected in Guanajuato and Sinaloa, X-disease group (16SrIII) was detected in Coahuila and Guanajuato, and the Mexican periwinkle virescence (16SrXIII) was only detected in Sinaloa. Phytoplasmas from X-disease and Mexican periwinkle virescence groups were detected in potato samples for the first time in Mexico.

Survey and molecular detection of phytoplasmas associated with potato in Romania and southern Russia

“…Phytoplasmas, previously called mycoplasma-like organisms (MLO), are unculturable, phloem-limited and insect-transmitted plant pathogens, and have been associated with diseases in hundreds of plant species, including many important food crops, ornamentals, Serious epidemics of purple top disease of potato, caused by phytoplasma infections, have recently occurred in North America (Leyva-López et al 2002;Khadhair et al 2003;Lee et al 2004;Munyaneza 2005;Munyaneza et al 2006;RubioCovarrubias et al 2006;Secor et al 2006;Olivier et al 2009;Munyaneza et al 2008b;2010a;Santos-Cervantes et al 2010), Central and South America (Secor and Rivera-Varas 2004;Jones et al 2004), central and eastern Europe (Linhartova et al 2006;Paltrinieri and Bertaccini 2007;Bogoutdinov et al 2008;Girsova et al 2008;Fialova et al 2009), and New Zealand ). Countries severely affected by phytoplasma diseases of potato include Russia, Romania, Mexico, Guatemala, and the United States.…”

“…1 Potato plant exhibiting typical symptoms of stolbur phytoplasma infection. Symptoms include upward rolling of the top leaves with reddish or purplish discoloration, proliferation of buds, shortened internodes, and swollen nodes (16SrII), X-disease (16SrIII), clover proliferation (16srVI), apple proliferation (16SrX), stolbur (16SrXII), Mexican periwinkle virescence (16SrXIII), and American potato purple top wilt(16SrXVIII) (Lee et al 1998;2000;Paltrinieri and Bertaccini 2007;Santos-Cervantes et al 2010).…”

‘Candidatus Phytoplasma hispanicum’, a novel taxon associated with Mexican periwinkle virescence disease of Catharanthus roseus

“…in Mexico (Santos-Cervantes et al, 2010); in diseased strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch., Rosaceae Family) in Florida, USA (Harrison et al, 1997;Jomantiene et al, 1998); in diseased chinaberry tree (Melia azedarach L., Meliaceae Family) in Argentina and Bolivia (Arneodo et al, 2007;Harrison et al, 2003); in diseased strawberry in Argentina (Fernandez et al, 2015); and in diseased tomato in Baja, Mexico (Holguin-Pena et al, 2007). Six subgroups (16SrXIII-A through 16SrXIII-F) were subsequently designated to accommodate diverse strains within group 16SrXIII (Table 2).…”

“…Six subgroups (16SrXIII-A through 16SrXIII-F) were subsequently designated to accommodate diverse strains within group 16SrXIII (Table 2). Strain MPV was classified in 16S rDNA RFLP group 16SrXIII, subgroup A (16SrXIII-A) (Davis & Sinclair, 1998;Jomantiene et al, 1998;Lee et al, 1998), while strains STRAWB1, CbY1 and ChTYXIII-4, MPPT-SINPV, PACNBr04, and StrawRL-Tc1 were classified in subgroups 16SrXIII-B, 16SrXIII-C, 16SrXIII-D, 16SrXIII-E, and 16SrXIII-F, respectively (Arneodo et al, 2007;Fernandez et al, 2015;Harrison et al, 2003;Jomantiene et al, 1998;Lee et al, 2000;Melo et al, 2013;Santos-Cervantes et al, 2010). …”

Reclassification of aster yellows group phytoplasmas in Korea

“…subgroups, from 16SrI-A to 16SrI-W, have been reported in the AY group phytoplasmas according to the results of extensive RFLP analyses of the 16S rRNA gene (ArochaRosete et al 2011;Lee et al 1993;Santos-Cervantes et al 2010).…”