RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Davis, Robert E. A1 Harrison, Nigel A. A1 Zhao, Yan A1 Wei, Wei A1 Dally, Ellen L.YR 2016 T1 ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma hispanicum’, a novel taxon associated with Mexican periwinkle virescence disease of Catharanthus roseus JF International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, VO 66 IS 9 SP 3463 OP 3467 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/ijsem.0.001218 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1466-5034, AB Mexican periwinkle virescence (MPV) phytoplasma was originally discovered in diseased plants of Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) in Yucatán, Mexico. On the basis of results from RFLP analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene sequences, strain MPV was previously classified as the first known member of phytoplasma group 16SrXIII, and a new subgroup (16SrXIII-A) was established to accommodate MPV phytoplasma. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain MPV represents a lineage distinct from previously described ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma ’ species. Nucleotide sequence alignments revealed that strain MPV shared less than 97.5 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with all previously described ‘Ca. Phytoplasma ’ species. Based on unique properties of the DNA, we propose recognition of Mexican periwinkle virescence phytoplasma strain MPV as representative of a novel taxon, ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma hispanicum’., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/ijsem/10.1099/ijsem.0.001218