1887

Abstract

Phytoplasmas, the causal agents of numerous plant diseases, are insect-vector-transmitted, cell-wall-less bacteria descended from ancestral low-G+C-content Gram-positive bacteria in the group. Despite their monophyletic origin, widely divergent phytoplasma lineages have evolved in adaptation to specific ecological niches. Classification and taxonomic assignment of phytoplasmas have been based primarily on molecular analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences because of the inaccessibility of measurable phenotypic characters suitable for conventional microbial characterization. In the present study, an interactive online tool, PhyClassifier, was developed to expand the efficacy and capacity of the current 16S rRNA gene sequence-based phytoplasma classification system. PhyClassifier performs sequence similarity analysis, simulates laboratory restriction enzyme digestions and subsequent gel electrophoresis and generates virtual restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) profiles. Based on calculated RFLP pattern similarity coefficients and overall sequence similarity scores, PhyClassifier makes instant suggestions on tentative phytoplasma 16Sr group/subgroup classification status and ‘ Phytoplasma’ species assignment. Using PhyClassifier, we revised and updated the classification of strains affiliated with the peach X-disease phytoplasma group. The online tool can be accessed at http://www.ba.ars.usda.gov/data/mppl/iPhyClassifier.html.

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2009-10-01
2024-03-29
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vol. , part 10, pp. 2582 - 2593

Similarity coefficients derived from analysis of virtual RFLP patterns of 16S rRNA F2nR2 sequences from phytoplasma strains in the peach X-disease group (16SrIII). [MS Excel file](54 KB)



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