Histological aberrations of eggplant leaf and flower tissues in response to phytoplasma infection

Phytoplasma diseases are common obstacle against vegetable production. Eggplant is one of the major solanaceous vegetable crop which is acutely affected by phytoplasma infection. Little leaf, phyllody and giant calyx are some of the prominent symptoms of phytoplasma infection in eggplant. In present investigation, association of phytoplasma was confirmed with these symptoms by using phytoplasma (16S rRNA gene) specific universal primers (P1/P7). The flower, leaf and calyx tissues of phytoplasma infected plants showing phyllody, little leaf and giant calyx symptoms respectively as well as of healthy plants were fixed in Formalin- Acetic acid- Alcohol (FAA) solution and proceeded for light microscopy. The flower petal, leaf lamella and giant calyx were observed for perceiving microscopic histological changes. The flower and leaf tissues of healthy plants were used as control. In results, it was divulged that phytoplasma infection in eggplant causes many histological wreckings viz., distortion and anarchy of different constitutive cells of dermal, ground and vascular tissues of different plant organs.