Molecular characterisation of phytoplasmas infecting Dimorphandra spp. in Brazil Montano Helena G.1,*, Bertaccini Assunta2, Guthelle Dezi K.2, Paltrinieri Samanta2, Contaldo Nicoletta2 1DEnF, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), Seropédica, Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2Department of Agricultural Sciences (DipSA), Plant Pathology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy *Corresponding author e-mail: Helena Guglielmi Montano (hgmontano@yahoo.com.br)
Online published on 2 January, 2015. Abstract Dimorphandra sp., known as “fava d'anta” and “faveiro”, is an endemic species in several South American countries. Symptomatic trees, with witches’ broom growths and other symptoms characteristic of diseases associated with phytoplasma presence, were found harbouring phytoplasmas showing differences from those reported so far in Brazil. Ribosomal gene sequencing of one of these strains indicated that it shared 99% of its identity with phytoplasmas enclosed in 16SrXIII group, detected in Mexico, Argentina and Bolivia. RFLP analyses on the ribosomal gene, and further characterisation of the rp gene, also showed the similarity of these with phytoplasmas detected in Turnera sp. in Brazil. Top Keywords Dimorphandra gardneriana, Dimorphandra mollis, witches’ broom, 16S ribosomal group, classification. Top |