Jujube Witches'-broom Phytoplasma Research Articles

Genetic Similarity Between Jujube Witches¡？Broom and Mulberry Dwarf Phytoplasmas Transmitted by Hishimonus sellatus Uhler

Using phytoplasma universal primer pair Pl and P7, a fragment of about 1.8 kb nucleotide sequences of 16S rRNA gene and 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region, and a portion of 23S rRNA gene of jujube witches`broom (JWB) and mulberry dwarf(MD) phytoplasmas were determined. The nucleotide sequences of JWB and MD were 1,850 bp and 1,831 bp long, respectively. The JWB phytoplasma sequence was aligned with the homologous sequence of MD phytoplasma. Twenty-eight base insertions and nine base deletions were found in the JWB phytoplasma sequence compared with that of MD phytoplasma. The similarity of the aligned sequences of JWB and MD was 84.8%. The near-complete 16S rRNA gene DNA sequences of JWB and MD were 1,529 bp and 1,530 bp in length, respectively, and revealed 89.0% homology. The 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region DNA sequences were 263 bp and 243 bp in lengths respectively, while homology was only 70% and the conserved tRNA-lle gene of JWB and MD was located into the intergenic space region between 16S-23S rRNA gene. The nucleotide sequences were 77 bp long in both JWB and MD, and showed 97.4% sequence homology. Based on the phylogenetic analysis of the two phytoplasmas, the JWB phytoplasma belongs to the Elm yellow phytoplasma group (16S rV), whereas, the MD phytoplasma belongs to the Aster yellow group (16S rI).