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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC AND EVOLUTIONARY MICROBIOLOGY logo

Volume 58, Issue 8

Phytoplasma phylogenetics based on analysis of and 23S rRNA gene sequences for improved resolution of candidate species of ‘ Phytoplasma’ Free

Abstract

Phytoplasma phylogenetics has focused primarily on sequences of the non-coding 16S rRNA gene and the 16S–23S rRNA intergenic spacer region (16–23S ISR), and primers that enable amplification of these regions from all phytoplasmas by PCR are well established. In this study, primers based on the gene have been developed into a semi-nested PCR assay that results in a sequence of the expected size (about 480 bp) from all 34 phytoplasmas examined, including strains representative of 12 16Sr groups. Phylogenetic analysis of gene sequences showed similar clustering of phytoplasmas when compared with clusters resolved by similar sequence analyses of a 16–23S ISR–23S rRNA gene contig or of the 16S rRNA gene alone. The main differences between trees were in the branch lengths, which were elongated in the 16–23S ISR–23S rRNA gene tree when compared with the 16S rRNA gene tree and elongated still further in the gene tree, despite this being a shorter sequence. The improved resolution in the gene-derived phylogenetic tree resulted in the 16SrII group splitting into two distinct clusters, while phytoplasmas associated with coconut lethal yellowing-type diseases split into three distinct groups, thereby supporting past proposals that they represent different candidate species within ‘ Phytoplasma’. The ability to differentiate 16Sr groups and subgroups by virtual RFLP analysis of gene sequences suggests that this gene may provide an informative alternative molecular marker for pathogen identification and diagnosis of phytoplasma diseases.

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Keyword(s): 16–23S ISR, 16S–23S rRNA intergenic spacer region
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2008-08-01
2024-04-23
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Phytoplasma phylogenetics based on analysis of secA and 23S rRNA gene sequences for improved resolution of candidate species of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma’
Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 58, 1826 (2008); https://doi.org/10.1099/ijs.0.65668-0
/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijs.0.65668-0
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