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Natural occurrence, identification and transmission of the phytoplasma associated with flax phyllody and stem fasciation in Pakistan

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Abstract

Flax plants (Linum usitatissimum) of the white (album) flower variety exhibiting typical phytoplasma-like symptoms were found for the first time in Pakistan during 2011. The symptoms included floral virescence, phyllody, little leaf, stunting and stem fasciation. Light microscopy of hand-cut stem sections treated with Dienes’ stain showed blue areas in the phloem region of symptomatic plants. To confirm phytoplasma infection, total DNA was extracted separately from five plants showing virescence/phyllody and from five others showing fasciation, and was amplified by nested PCR using universal 16S rDNA phytoplasma primers P1/P7 followed by R16F2n/R16R2. All samples from plants with virescence/phyllody and fasciation yielded a 1,250 bp PCR product, and identical RFLP profiles using the enzymes AluI and HpaII. Direct sequencing of the 16S rDNA of one representative PCR amplicon (GenBank Accession No. JX567504 for phyllody and Accession No. JX567505 for fasciation) showed highest sequence identity (99%) with 16SrII ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia’ phytoplasmas, and phylogenetic analysis placed the phytoplasma in subgroup 16SrII-D. Disease was successfully transmitted by grafting and by the leafhopper Orosius albicinctus. To our knowledge, flax is a new natural host for 16SrII-D phytoplasmas in Pakistan.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission for financial support and to Mr. Muhammad Tanvir Elahi, (RA), NIAB, for his useful assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    K. P. Akhtar, T. M. Shah & N. Sarwar

  2. School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK

    M. Dickinson

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  1. K. P. Akhtar
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  2. M. Dickinson
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  3. T. M. Shah
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  4. N. Sarwar
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Correspondence to K. P. Akhtar.

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Akhtar, K.P., Dickinson, M., Shah, T.M. et al. Natural occurrence, identification and transmission of the phytoplasma associated with flax phyllody and stem fasciation in Pakistan. Phytoparasitica 41, 383–389 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12600-013-0299-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12600-013-0299-8

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