1All-Russian Plant Quarantine Centre, Bykovo, Moscow region, Russian Federation
2The A.L. Mazlumov All-Russian Research Institute of Sugar Beet of Russian Agricultural Academy, Ramon, Voronezh region, Russian Federation
*Corresponding author e-mail: Yuri Shneyder (yury.shneyder@mail.ru)
Online published on 5 March, 2025.
The purpose of the research was to study the genetic characteristics of 9 strains of the “stolbur” phytoplasma (‘Candidatus Phytoplasma solani’) detected in sugar beet plants in the Ramonsky and Ertilsky districts of the Voronezh region. The strains were detected by quantitative PCR. Confirmatory tests were carried out with nested-PCR using universal primers for phytoplasmas P1/P7 and fU5/rU3. The obtained amplification products were sequenced. Seven strains were found to be ‘Ca. P. solani’ having more than 99% identity with the 16S rRNA gene sequences of the reference strain of this ‘Ca. Phytoplasma’ species and containing also DSB1 and DSB2 sequences unique to ‘Ca. P. solani’. Two strains were not identical to ‘Ca. P. solani’, however the amplicons sequenced were too short for the evaluation of their genetic relationship with ‘Ca. P. solani’, however they could represent genetic variants of this phytoplasma.
“Stolbur” phytoplasma, PCR, Primers, Sequencing, Leaf hopper
