1Department of Agricultural Sciences (DipSA), Plant Pathology, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
2Department of Genetics, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
*Corresponding author e-mail: Johan Burger (jtb@sun.ac.za)
Online published on 2 January, 2015.
The genetic diversity of aster yellows phytoplasmas in grapevine collected in two locations in South Africa (Vredendal and Robertson) was investigated by the use of multilocus analysis of gene sequences amplified by polymerase chain reaction. Based on results from restriction fragment length polymorphism profiling and nucleotide sequence alignments of 16S rRNA, rp, amp, groEL and secY genes in comparison with aster yellows strains from Italy and reference aster yellows strains, four lineages have been detected in samples from South Africa.
Aster yellow phytoplasmas, multiple gene analysis, PCR, RFLP, amplicon sequencing
