‘Candidatus Phytoplasma trifolii’ associated with little leaf and witches’ broom disease of Datura stramonium L. in India Singh Namita1, Madhupriya2, Rao G.P.2, Upadhayaya P.P.1 1Department of Botany, D.D.U. Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur273009, Uttar Pradesh, India 2Division of Plant Pathology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi110012, India Corresponding author e-mail: G.P. Rao (gprao_gor@rediffmail.com)
Online published on 29 January, 2013. Abstract A disease characterized by little leaf and witches’ broom symptoms was observed on Datura stramonium L. plants growing widely along the roadsides at Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. Phytoplasma detection and identification using universal primer pairs P1/P7 amplifying phytoplasma 16S-23S rDNA followed by R16F2n/R16R2 in nested PCR assays from nucleic acid extracted from symptomatic D. stramonium plants was performed. Neither by direct nor by nested PCR DNA from non-symptomatic samples was amplified. BLAST analysis of the 16S rRNA partial gene sequence of the phytoplasma identified in D. stramonium revealed its highest identity with several members of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma trifolii’ group (clover proliferation, 16SrVI). The association of clover proliferation group (16SrVI) with little leaf disease of D. stramonium is reported here for the first time worldwide. Top Keywords Datura stramonium, little leaf, witches’ broom, phytoplasma, Ca P. trifolii, India. Top |