Evaluation of the transmission of phytoplasmas associated with potato purple top and stolbur diseases through seed tubers

Document Type : Research Article

Author

Isfahan University of Technology

Abstract

Abstract
Candidaus Phytoplasma solani and Ca. Phytoplasma trifolii are the dominant causal agents of potato purple top and stolbur diseases in Isfahan province. While leafhoppers are known as the primary vectors of phytoplasmas, the exact impact of seed tubers on the transmission of phytoplasmas across different generations is still uncertain. In this study, 111 potato tubers from 47 phytoplasma-associated plants were grown in an insect-proof greenhouse The nested-PCR assays revealed that 25 second-generation potato plants tested positive for Ca. P. solani (22%), 19 of which were symptomatic. Ca. P. trifolii was not detected in any of these plants. As the third generation, 82 progeny tubers were replanted from the 47 samples. Among these, only five plants were identified as infected with Ca. P. solani (6%), while they were negative for Ca.P. trifolii. The elevated titer of Ca. P. solani within the host may have played a significant role in enhancing the seed transmission of the pathogen to subsequent generations. The decrease in the transmission rate of Ca. P. solani in offspring suggests that the uneven distribution of phytoplasma within the phloem may result in circumstances where not all tuber derived from an infected maternal tuber becomes infected. Despite a relatively low-rate of phytoplasma transmission across successive generations of seed potatoes, this reduced transmission level remains significant as a source of phytoplasma inoculum, facilitating the spread of the disease through leafhopper vectors.

Keywords

References

Bertaccini, A. 2022. Plants and phytoplasmas: When bacteria modify plants. Plants 11: 1425. doi.org/10.3390/plants11111425
Christensen, N. M., Axelsen, K. B., Nicolaisen, M. and Schulz, A. 2005. Phytoplasmas and their interactions with hosts. Trends in Plant Sci. 10:526-535.
Christensen, N. M., Nicolaisen, M., Hansen, M. and Schulz, A. 2004. Distribution of phytoplasmas in infected plants as revealed by real-time PCR and bioimaging. Mol. Plant Microbe Interact. 17: 1175-1184.
Crosslin, J. M., Hamlin, L., Buchman, J. L. and Munyaneza, J. E. 2011. Transmission of potato purple top phytoplasma to potato tubers and daughter plants. Am. J. Potato Res. 88: 339-345.
Deng, S. and Hiruki, C. 1991. Amplification of 16SrRNA genes from culturable and nonculturable mollicutes. J. Microbiol. Methods 14: 53-61.
Ember, I., Acs, Z., Munyaneza, J. E., Crosslin, J. M.  and Kolber, M. 2011. Survey and molecular detection of phytoplasmas associated with potato in Romania and southern Russia. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 130: 367-377.
EPPO. 2024. 'Candidatus Phytoplasma solani'. EPPO datasheets on pests recommended for regulation. Available online. https://gd.eppo.int.
Franco-Lara, L., Varela-Correa, C.A., Guerrero-Carranza, G. P. and Quintero-Vargas, J.C. 2023. Association of phytoplasmas with a new disease of potato crops in cundinamarca. Colombia Crop Prot 163: 106 123.    doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2022.106123
Galetto, L., Marzachì, C., Demichelis, S. and Bosco, D. 2011. Host plant determines the phytoplasma transmission competence of Empoasca decipiens (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). J. Econ. Entomol.104:360–366.
Gholami, J., Bahar, M. and Talebi, M. 2020. Simultaneous detection and direct identification of phytoplasmas in the aster yellows (16SrI), clover proliferation (16SrVI) and stolbur (16SrXII) groups using a multiplex nested PCR assay in potato plants. Potato Res. 63:403–415.
Girsova, N. V., Bottner-Parker, K. D., Bogoutdinov, D. Z., Meshkov, Y. I., Mozhaeva, K. A., Kastalyeva, T. B.  and Lee, M. 2016. Diverse phytoplasmas associated with potato stolbur and other related potato diseases in Russia. Eur. J. Plant Pathol. 145: 139-153.
Gundersen, D. E. and Lee, I-M. 1996. Ultrasensitive detection of phytoplasmas by nested-PCR assays using two universal primer pairs. Phytopathol. Mediterr. 35: 144-151.
Hiruki, C. and Wang, K. 2004. Clover proliferation phytoplasma: Candidatus Phytoplasma trifolii’. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 54: 1349-1353.
Hosseini, P., Bahar, M., G., Madani, M. and Zirak, L. 2011a. Molecular characterization of a phytoplasma associated with potato witches’‐broom disease in Iran. J. Phytopathol. 159: 120-123.
Hosseini, P., Bahar, M., Madani, G. and Zirak, L. 2011b. Molecular characterization of phytoplasmas associated with potato purple top disease in Iran. J. Phytopathol. 159: 241-246.
Khadhair, A. H., Hiruki, C., Hwang, S. F. and Wang, K. 1997. Molecular identification and relatedness of potato witches'-broom phytoplasma isolates from four potato cultivars. Microbiol Res. 152:281–286.  
Khadhair, A. H., Duplessis Mcalister, P., Ampong-Nyarko, K and Bains, P. 2003. Transmission and characterization of phytoplasma diseases associated with infected potato cultivars in Alberta. Acta Hortic. 619: 167-176. doi:10.17660/actahortic.2003.619.18.
Khajehali, J., Seyedoleslami, H. and Kamali, K. 2001. A contribution to study of hoppers (Hom. Auchenorrhyncha) of potato fields in Isfahan and Daran. Appl. Entomol. Phytopath. 68:43-71. (Abstract in English)
Lee, I.-M., Gundersen-Rindal, D. E., Davis, R. E., Bottner, K. D., Marcone, C. and Seemüller, E. 2004. ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’, a novel phytoplasma taxon associated with aster yellows and related diseases. Int. J. Sys. Evo. Microbiol. 54: 1037-1048.
Lee, I-M., Bottner, K. D., Secor, G. and Rivera-Varas, V. 2006. ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma americanum’, a phytoplasma associated with a potato purple top wilt disease complex. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 56: 1593-1597.
Leyva-Lopez, N. E., Ochoa-Sanchez, J. C., Leal-Klevezas, D. S.  and Martinez-Soriano, J. P. 2002. Multiple phytoplasmas associated with potato diseases in Mexico. Can. J. Microbiol. 48: 1062-1068.
Mitrovic, M., Jakovljevic, M., Jovic, J., Krstic, O., Kosovac, A., Trivellone, V., Jermini, M., Toševski, I and Cvrkovic, T., 2016. 'Candidatus Phytoplasma solani' genotypes associated with potato stolbur in Serbia and the role of Hyalesthes obsoletus and Reptalus panzeri (Hemiptera, Cixiidae) as natural vectors. Eur. J. Plant Pathol.144: 619-630.
Munyaneza, J. E., Crosslin J. M. and Upton, J. E. 2006. Beet leafhopper (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) transmits the Columbia Basin potato purple top phytoplasma to potatoes, beets and weeds. J. Econ. Entomol. 99: 268–272.
Murray, M. G. and Thompson, W. F. 1980. Rapid isolation of high molecular weight plant DNA. Nucleic Acids Res. 8: 4321-4326.
Murphy, A. F., Rondon, S. I., Marchosky, R., Buchman, J., and Munyaneza, J. 2014. Evaluation of beet leafhopper transmitted virescence agent damage in the Columbia Basin. Amer. J. Potato Res. 91: 101-108.
Musetti, R., Buxa, S.V., De Marco, F., Loschi, A., Polizzotto, R., Kogel, K. H., van Bel, A. J. 2013. Phytoplasma-triggered Ca2+ influx is involved in sieve-tube blockage. Mol. Plant-Microbe Interact. 26: 379-386.
Nagaich, B. B. and Giri, B. K.  1973. Purple top roll disease of potato. Amer. Potato J. 50: 79 –85.
Namba, S. 2019. Molecular and biological properties of phytoplasmas. Proc. Jpn. Acad. Ser. B Phys. Biol. Sci. 95: 401–418.
Paltrinieri, S. and Bertaccini, A. 2007. Detection of phytoplasmas in plantlets grown from different batches of seed-potatoes. Bull. Insectol.60: 379–380.
Pagliari, L., Buoso, S., Santi, S., van Bel, A. J. E. and Musetti, R. 2018. What slows down phytoplasma proliferation? Speculations on the involvement of AtSEOR2 protein in plant defence signalling. Plant Signaling & Behavior 13, e1473666.
Rinklef, A., Behrmann, S. C., Löffler, D., Erner, J., Meyer, M.V., Lang, C., Vilcinskas, A. and Lee, K.-Z. 2024. Prevalence in potato of ‘Candidatus Arsenophonus phytopathogenicus’ and ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma solani’ and their transmission via adult pentastiridius leporinus. Insects.15: 275. doi: 10.3390/insects15040275
Santos-Cervantes, M. E., Chávez-Medina, J. A., Acosta-Pardini, J., Flores-Zamora, G. L., Méndez-Lozano, J. and Leyva-López, N. E. 2010. Genetic diversity and geographical distribution of phytoplasmas associated with potato purple top disease in Mexico. Plant Dis. 94:388-395.
Schneider, B., Seemüller, E., Smart, C. D. and Kirkpatrick, B. C. 1995. Phylogenetic classification of plant pathogenic mycoplasmalike organisms or phytoplasmas. pp 369-380 in: Molecular and Diagnostic Procedures in Mycoplasmology. Vol. 2. S. Razin and J. G. Tully (Eds.). Academic Press, New York.
Smart, C. D., Schneider, B., Blomquist, C. L., Guerra, L. J., Harrison, N. A., Ahrens, U., Lorenz, K. H., Seemuller, E. and Kirkpatrick, B. C. 1996. Phytoplasma-specific PCR primers based on sequences of the 16S23S rRNA spacer region. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 62:2988-2993.
Vali Sichani, F., Bahar, M. and Zirak, L. 2014. Characterization of phytoplasmas related to aster yellows group infecting annual plants in Iran based on 16SrRNA and rp genes studies. J. Plant Prot. Res. 54: 1-8
van Bel, A. J. E. and Musetti, R. 2019. Sieve element biology provides leads for research on phytoplasma lifestyle in plant hosts. J Exp Bot. 70:3737-3755.
 
Wei, W., Inaba, J., Zhao, Y., Mowery, J. D. and Hammond, R. 2022. Phytoplasma infection blocks starch breakdown and triggers chloroplast degradation, leading to premature leaf senescence, sucrose reallocation, and spatiotemporal redistribution of phytohormones. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 23, 1810. doi.org/10.3390/ ijms23031810 18
Weintraub, P.G. and Beanland, L. 2006. Insect vectors of phytoplasmas. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 51: 91–111.
Wright, A.A., Shires, M., Molnar, C., Bishop, G., Johnson, A., Frias, C. and Harper, S. J. 2022. Titer and distribution of Candidatus phytoplasma pruni in Prunus avium. Phytopathology 112: 1406-1412. 
Wright, N.S., Raine, J. and Valenta, V. 1983 Mycoplasmas. pp. 91-93 in: Compendium of Potato Diseases. Hooker, W.J (Ed). American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
Iranian Journal of Plant Pathology
Volume 60, Issue 1
April 2025
Pages 14-32

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics