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Molecular diversity of phytoplasmas associated with eggplant phyllody disease in Iran

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Abstract

During 2015–18, surveys were conducted in the main eggplant growing areas of Iran and in all areas phytoplasma-type symptoms were observed. A total of 350 symptomatic eggplant plants were collected and tested for the phytoplasma presence on 16S rDNA. Diversity of the detected phytoplasmas was verified by molecular analyses, dodder and graft transmission on experimental test plants. Phytoplasmas were detected in all symptomatic samples and, by using nucleotide sequence comparisons and virtual restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses of 16S rDNA, six subgroups including 16SrII-D and -V, 16SrIX-C and -I, 16SrVI-A and 16SrXII-A and molecular variants related to 16SrII-D, 16SrVI-A, 16SrIX-C subgroups were identified. Based on symptomatology in dodder and graft inoculated eggplant and periwinkle plants, the phytoplasmas enclosed in the identified subgroups were differentiable. Collectively, based on the results of the present study and considering the reported presence of phytoplasmas belonging to the same ribosomal subgroups in other crops, eggplant fields play an important role in the epidemiology of other diseases associated with these phytoplasmas in Iran.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Plant Protection Research Department, Fars Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Centre, AREEO, Zarghan, Iran

    Mohammad Salehi & Elham Salehi

  2. Plant Protection Research Department, Yazd Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Centre, AREEO, Yazd, Iran

    Seyyed Alireza Esmaeilzadeh-Hosseini

  3. Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Assunta Bertaccini

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  1. Mohammad Salehi
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  2. Seyyed Alireza Esmaeilzadeh-Hosseini
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  3. Elham Salehi
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  4. Assunta Bertaccini
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Correspondence to Seyyed Alireza Esmaeilzadeh-Hosseini.

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All authors affirm that 1) there exist no actual or potential conflict of interests to disclose, 2) the manuscript is original and has not been published previously (partly or in full), and is not under review for publication elsewhere, 3) all the necessary local, national and international standards, regulations and conventions, including normal scientific ethical practices, have been duly followed and respected. Additionally, all authors have endorsed the final version of the manuscript before submission.

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All the authors declare that the principles of ethical and professional conduct were duly followed during the execution of this research. The research was funded by Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Iran.

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Salehi, M., Esmaeilzadeh-Hosseini, S.A., Salehi, E. et al. Molecular diversity of phytoplasmas associated with eggplant phyllody disease in Iran. Eur J Plant Pathol 161, 195–205 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-021-02314-8

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