Hishimonus phycitis: Possible Vector of 16SrI-B Subgroup Phytoplama

Abstract

Witches-broom symptoms of Catharanthus roseus are caused by ‘Candidatus phytoplasma is a terrible disease in the Uttar Pradesh State of India. The disease has been transmitted to infected C. roseus seedlings by grafting and cutting of stems. Heavy infestation of Hishimonus phycitis was recorded in ornamental garden during rainy season with witches- broom and phyllody disease of C. roseus at surveyed location of Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh. To confirm the phytoplasma in C. roseus and the identification of phytoplasma causing insect vector, DNA were isolated from both of the infected plants and suspected H. phycitis. Isolated DNA of both insects and plants were performed to PCR assay with the help of phytoplasma specific universal primer P1/P7 and nested PCR with R16F2n/R2 which yielded about 1.2 kb amplicon in both the H. phycitis and witches-broom symptomatic samples. Both suspected amplified DNA samples from C. roseus and H. phycitis were sequenced. BLASTn and RFLP analysis were performed for the sequence alignment and subgroup assignment. BLASTn analyses were produces a result of 100% sequence similarity among themselves and 99% similarity with strain of 16SrI group whereas RFLP produces 16SrI-B subgroup. The study indicated that H. phycitis may play role as a vector in the transmission of these phytoplasma in C. roseus crops.