Experiments were conducted to determine whether the beet leafhopper, Circulifer tenellus (Baker) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), transmits the purple top phytoplasma to potato, Solanum tuberosum L.; beets, Beta vulgaris L.; and selected weed hosts. The beet leafhopper-transmitted virescence agent (BLTVA) phytoplasma was identified as the causal agent of the potato purple top disease outbreaks that r...

Huanglongbing (HLB) is a severe citrus (Citrus spp.) disease associated with the bacteria genus Candidatus Liberibacter, detected in Brazil in 2004. Another bacterium was found in association with HLB symptoms and characterized as a phytoplasma belonging to the 16SrIX group. The objectives of this study were to identify potential leafhopper vectors of the HLB-associated phytoplasma and their ho...

Phytoplasmas are uncultivable prokaryotic wall-less pathogens belonging to the class Mollicutes that inhabit plant phloem and insects. Their identification and classification is difficult and mainly based on the polymorphism of their 16S rRNAgene sequences. Aster yellows (AY; 'Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris') phytoplasmas (ribosomal subgroup 16SrI-P) had been previously identified in several Po...

The confirmation of the presence 16SrXXII-B phytoplasmas associated with coconut lethal yellowing disease in Ghana and 16SrIV Caribbean (Jamaica, Cuba, Mexico) were basis to study alternative plant species potential insect vectors this economically relevant carried out by TROPICSAFE project started 2017. In South Africa grapevine yellows ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’, (subgroup 16SrI-B) tran...

Our previous studies reported that phytoplasma was the causative agent of pine disease in Curonian Spit, Lithuania. In this study, insects from diseased trees and their adjacent areas were collected 2016 to 2019 further identify potential insect vectors spread phytoplasmas. A total 1018 phloem-feeding (order Hemiptera) identified, 98.62% which aphids (Aphididae), no known found. The results sem...

Phytoplasma-infected Chinese cherry (Cerasus pseudocerasus L.) exhibits symptoms of phyllody and stiff fruit. To reveal the molecular mechanism fruit, current study integrated transcriptome with metabolome. Results showed that differentially expressed genes accumulated metabolites were related to a high proportion two aspects: pathogen resistance signaling or regulatory functions, fruit majorly...

Emergence of the phytoplasma clade from an Acholeplasma-like ancestor gave rise to an intriguing group of cell wall-less prokaryotes through a remarkable and continuing evolutionary process. In a ceaseless progression, phytoplasmas have evolved reduced genomes, lost biochemical pathways for synthesis of nutrients supplied by hosts, and gained capabilities for transkingdom parasitism and pathoge...

Paulownia witches' broom (PaWB) caused by a phytoplasma, has caused extensive losses in the yields of paulownia timber and resulted in significant economic losses. However, the molecular mechanisms in Paulownia that underlie the phytoplasma stress are poorly characterized. In this study, we use an Illumina platform to sequence four small RNA libraries and four degradome sequencing libraries der...