Molecular Characterization of Phytoplasma Associated with Rose Witches'-Broom in China |
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Authors: | R. Gao G.-M. Zhang Y.-F. Lan T.-S. Zhu X.-Q. Yu X.-P. Zhu X.-D. Li |
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Affiliation: | Authors' address: Department of Plant Pathology, College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong 271018, China (correspondence to X.-D. Li. E-mail: ) |
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Abstract: | In 2005, rose plants (Rosa rugosa cv. ‘Plena’) exhibiting typical phytoplasma disease symptoms of stunting, yellowing, witches’‐broom and dieback were observed in Pingyin, Shandong Province, China. The disease, rose witches’‐broom (RoWB), is progressively destructive and can be graft‐transmitted. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), sequencing of PCR products and electron microscopy were used to investigate the possible association of phytoplasma with RoWB. All results indicated that presence of phytoplasma in the symptomatic rose plants. Sequence alignment of 16S rRNA gene, tuf gene and rp gene confirmed that the phytoplasma associated with RoWB is the causal agent of Paulownia witches’‐broom disease, which might be transmitted from the paulownia tree that is several meters away. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the molecular characterization of phytoplasma infecting rose in China. |
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Keywords: | rose witches'-broom phytoplasma polymerase chain reaction sequencing |
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