From field to lab: Best practices for phytoplasma-infected samples storage and processing

Phytoplasmas represent a group of plant pathogens implicated in numerous diseases affecting a wide range of wild and cultivated plant species across the globe. They are prokaryotes that lack cell wall, and are localized in plant tissues with active phloem, such as shoots, midribs, and petioles of young leaves, making these organs ideal for sampling. Rapid and accurate phytoplasma detection, together with understanding their relationship with host plants, is crucial for managing phytoplasma-associated diseases. Most scientific articles emphasize the importance of rapidly processing phytoplasma-infected plant samples to avoid the damaging effects of oxidation. However, when dealing with a large number of samples and biological replicates, processing samples within a reasonable period is almost impossible. This motivated to conduct experiments on long-term samples storage and faster processing of large sample numbers. Additional difficulties were encountered during the sample processing, particularly when homogenizing the phloem of woody plants. Producing high-quality DNA is crucial for molecular studies, as is facilitating the processing of numerous samples. By combining a specific storage method for samples and using a dedicated grinding machine, it was possible to efficiently obtain phytoplasma DNA with a high quality and extend the seasonal work throughout the year.