Molecular Study of a New Disease of Peach in Iran Associated with a Phytoplasma

Abstract

In recent years, a disease has been reported to affect peach trees in Kurdistan province of Iran causing serious losses to the production. Main symptoms of disease include leaf stunting and yellowing, which lead to failure in fruit production at harvest. For diagnosis of disease and identification of the causal agent, symptomatic leaf samples were collected in Kurdistan orchards during summer 2010 and were carried to the laboratory. Total DNA was extracted from plant samples according to the standard procedures and indexed by grafting and nested PCR using phytoplasma generic primers, P1/P7 and R16F2n/R2. PCR products were characterized by RFLP technique and direct sequencing. The 16S rDNA sequences were compared with those of other phytoplasmas in GenBank. Phytoplasma rDNA was amplified from 20 out 35 samples. The 16S rDNA sequences of the phytoplasma were identified in Peach samples which showed 98% similarity to that of Candidatus Phytoplasma phoenicium which is considered to be the causal agent of Almond witches’ broom. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rDNA sequences placed peach strains in Almond witches broom isolate as a member of pigeon pea witches broom (PPWB) group. Further studies on the epidemiology of Ca. Phytoplasma phoenicium and its vector(s) in Iran are recommended in order to identify new natural hosts and develop successful disease management programs.

Share and Cite:

M. Zamharir, "Molecular Study of a New Disease of Peach in Iran Associated with a Phytoplasma," Advances in Microbiology, Vol. 4 No. 1, 2014, pp. 20-24. doi: 10.4236/aim.2014.41005.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1] AREEO, 2008. http://www.areo.ir/
[2] K. H. Lorenz, F. Dosba, C. Poggi-Pollini, G. Llacer and E. Seemüller, “Phytoplasma Diseases on Prunus Species in Europe Are Caused by Genetically Similar Organisms,” Zeitschrift für Pflanzenkrankheiten und Pflanzenschutz, Vol. 101, 1994, pp. 567-575.
[3] C. Marcone, A. Ragozzino and E. Seemuller, “European Stone Fruit Yellows Phytoplasma as the Cause of Peach Vein Enlargement and Other Yellows and Decline Diseases of Stone Fruits in Southern Italy,” Journal of Phytopathology, Vol. 144, No. 11-12, 1996, pp. 559-564.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0434.1996.tb00298.x
[4] I. M. Lee, D. E. Gundersen-Rindal, R. E. Davis and I. M. Bartoszyk, “Revised Classification Scheme of Phytoplasmas Based on RFLP Analyses of 16S rRNA and Ribosomal Protein Gene Sequences,” International Journal of Systematic and Evelotionry Microiology, Vol. 48, No. 4, 1998, pp. 1153-1169.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1099/00207713-48-4-1153
[5] Y. Abou-Jawdah, H. Sobh and M. Akkary, “First Report of Almond Witches’ Broom Phytoplasma (‘Candidatus Phytoplasma Phoenicium’) Causing a Severe Disease on Nectarine and Peach Trees in Lebanon,” EPPO Bulletin, Vol. 39, No. 1, 2009, pp. 94-98.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2338.2009.02223.x
[6] S. Bahrami Kamangar, M. Salehi and K. Izadpanah, “Presence of Yellows and Witches Broom as a Separate in Peach Orchards of Kurdestan,” Proceedings of the 16th Iranian Plant Protection Congress, 28 August-1 September 2004, Tabriz, p. 425.
[7] L. Zirak, M. Bahar and A. Ahoonmanesh, “Molecular Characterization of Phytoplasmas Aasociated with Peach Diseases in Iran,” Journal of Phytopathology, Vol. 158, No. 2, 2010, pp. 105-110.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0434.2009.01585.x
[8] A. Kollar, E. Seemuller, F. Bonet, S. Saillaird and J. M. Bove, “Isolation of the DNA of Various Plant Pathogenic Mycoplasmalike Organisms from Infected Plants,” Phytopathology, Vol. 80, 1990, pp. 3233-3237.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/Phyto-80-233
[9] E. F. Fritsch, J. Sambrook and T. Maniatis, “Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual,” Cold Spring. Harbor Press, New York, 1989.
[10] S. Deng and C. Hiruki, “Amplification of 16S rRNA Genes from Culturable and Nonculturable Mollicutes,” Journal of Microbiology Methods, Vol. 14, No. 1, 1991, pp. 53-61.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0167-7012(91)90007-D
[11] B. Schneider, E. Seemüller, C. D. Smart and B. C. Kirkpatrick, “Phylogenetic Classification of Plant Pathogenic Mycoplasma-Like Organisms or Phytoplasmas,” In: S. Razin, Ed., Molecular and Diagnostic Procedures in Mycoplasmology, Academic Press, San Diego, 1995, pp. 369-380.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-012583805-4/50040-6
[12] I. M. Lee, R. W. Hammond, R. E. Davis and D. E. Gundersen, “Universal Amplification and Analysis of Pathogen 16S rDNA for Classification and Identification of Mycoplasma Like Organisms,” Phytopathology, Vol. 83, 1993, pp. 834-842.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/Phyto-83-834
[13] W. Wei, R. E. Davis, I. M. Lee and Y. Zhao, “ComputerSimulated RFLP Analysis of 16S rRNA Genes: Identification of Ten New Phytoplasma Groups,” International Journal of Systematic and Evelotionry Microiology, Vol. 57, No. 8, 2007, pp. 1855-1867.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1099/ijs.0.65000-0
[14] U. Ahrens, K. H. Lorenz and E. Seemüller, “Genetic Diversity among Mycoplasma Like Organisms Associated with Stone Fruit Diseases,” Molecular Plant Microbe Interactions, Vol. 6, 1993, pp. 686-691.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/MPMI-6-686
[15] Y. Abou-Jawdah, A. Karakashian, H. Sobh, M. Martini and I. M. Lee, “An Epidemic of Almond Witches’-Broom in Lebanon: Classification and Phylogenetic Relationship of the Associated Phytoplasma,” Plant Disease, Vol. 86, No. 5, 2002, pp.477-484.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/PDIS.2002.86.5.477
[16] M. Salehi, K. Izadpanah and J. Heydarnejad, “Characterization of a New Almond Witches’ Broom Phytoplasma in Iran,” Journal of Phytopathology, Vol. 154, 2006, pp. 386-391.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0434.2006.01109.x
[17] Y. Abou-Jawdah, H. Dakhil, S. El-Mehtar and I. M. Lee, “Almond Witches’-Broom Phytoplasma, a Potential Threat to Almond, Peach and Nectarine,” Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology, Vol. 25, 2003, pp. 28-32.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07060660309507046
[18] M. Ghayeb Zamharir, “Phytoplasmas Associated with Almond Witches’ Broom Disease: An Overview,” African Journal of Microbiology Research, Vol. 5, No. 33, 2011, pp. 6013-6017.

Copyright © 2024 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.

Creative Commons License

This work and the related PDF file are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.