1Plant Diseases Department, Iranian Research Institute of Plant protection, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran
2Sistan O Bluchestan Plant Protection Organization, Zahedan, Iran
During a survey, samples of apricot (Prunus armeniaca) with rosette symptoms were collected from Sistan O Bluchestan province of Iran. DNA was extracted from samples using a CTAB method and nested PCR analysis were performed for amplifying phytoplasma 16S rDNA. The nested PCR products were sequenced and compared with 16S rRNA of available phytoplasma sequences. The 16S rDNA sequences of apricot rosette phytoplasma were deposited in GenBank and their analyses showed that these strains share 99% identity with ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma phoenicium’ strains. In silico RFLP and phylogenetic analyses of apricot rosette phytoplasma 16S rRNA gene sequence demonstrated that these phytoplasma strains are related to the 16SrIX-B phytoplasma subgroup.
Apricot rosette phytoplasma, 16SrIX-B, Iran
