Phytopathogenic Mollicutes
SCOPUS
  • Year: 2019
  • Volume: 9
  • Issue: 1

Molecular identification and characterization of phytoplasmas in insect vectors of chickpea phyllody disease in Punjab, Pakistan

  • Author:
  • Jam Nazeer Ahmad1,2,, Muhammad Zahid Sharif1, Samina Jam Nazeer Ahmad1,2, Muhammad Tahir2, Assunta Bertaccini3
  • Total Page Count: 2
  • Page Number: 105 to 106

1Integrated Genomic, Developmental and Biotechnology Laboratory Department of Entomology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

2Plant Stress Physiology, and Molecular Biology Laboratory Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

3Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Bologna, Italy

*Corresponding author e-mail: Jam Nazeer Ahmad (jam.ahmad@uaf.edu.pk)

Online published on 25 July, 2019.

Abstract

This study was conducted to identify the incidence of a chickpea disease consisting in phyllody, virescence and proliferation, its association with phytoplasmas and its insect vector(s). The presence of phytoplasmas in leafhopper species and chickpea plants was verified by nested PCR amplification of 16S rDNA. Orosius albicinctus, Circulifer haematoceps and Neoaliturus fenestratus resulted phytoplasma positive. The sequence of the detected phytoplasma strain exhibited the maximum nucleotide identity (99.9–100%) with peanut witches’ broom phytoplasmas, 16SrII-A subgroup.

Keywords

Chickpea, insect vectors, 16SrII-A, phytoplasmas, Pakistan