Detection of a 16SrXII phytoplasma associated with sugarcane yellow leaf syndrome in India

Abstract

Phytoplasma strain was detected in leaves of sugarcane in India exhibiting symptoms of yellowing of midribs. A phytoplasma characteristic 1.2 kb rDNA PCR product was amplified from DNAs of all diseased samples but not in healthy sugarcane plants tested using phytoplasma universal primer pairs P1/P7 and f5U/r3U. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of amplified 16S rDNA indicated that diseased sugarcane was infected by phytoplasma. The 16S rDNA sequence of the Indian sugarcane yellow leaf phytoplasma (SCYLP) showed the closest identity (99%) to that of SCYLP in Cuba identified as Macroptilium lathyroides (AY725233), which belongs to 16SrXII (Stolbur group). This is the first record of the detection of SCYLP, and identification of the 16SrXII group of phytoplasma associated with yellow leaf syndrome (YLS) in India.

Keywords:

• sugarcane
• phytoplasma
• PCR
• RFLP
• 16S rDNA

Acknowledgements

RKG is thankful to the Dr Shakti Baijal, Dean, Faculty of Arts, Science, Commerce and Law, MITS for cooperation in the present study. The authors are also thankful to Dr Y. Arocha, Cuba for her help in phylogenetic analysis and editing the manuscript.