RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Jung, Hee-Young A1 Sawayanagi, Toshimi A1 Kakizawa, Shigeyuki A1 Nishigawa, Hisashi A1 Wei, Wei A1 Oshima, Kenro A1 Miyata, Shin-ichi A1 Ugaki, Masashi A1 Hibi, Tadaaki A1 Namba, ShigetouYR 2003 T1 ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma ziziphi’, a novel phytoplasma taxon associated with jujube witches'-broom disease JF International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, VO 53 IS 4 SP 1037 OP 1041 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/ijs.0.02393-0 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1466-5034, AB Phylogenetic relationships of five jujube witches'-broom (JWB) phytoplasma isolates from four different districts, and other phytoplasmas, were investigated by 16S rDNA PCR amplification and sequence analysis. The 16S rDNA sequences of any pair of the five isolates of JWB phytoplasmas were >99·5 % similar. The JWB phytoplasma 16S rDNA sequences were most closely related to that of the elm yellows (EY) phytoplasma in 16S-group VIII. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rDNA sequences from the JWB phytoplasma isolates, together with sequences from most of the phytoplasmas archived in GenBank, produced a tree in which the JWB isolates clustered as a discrete subgroup. The uniqueness of the JWB phytoplasma appears to be correlated with a specific insect vector (Hishimonus sellatus) and the host plant (Zizyphus jujuba), or with a specific geographical distribution. The unique properties of the JWB phytoplasma sequences clearly indicate that it represents a novel taxon, ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma ziziphi’., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijs.0.02393-0