Detection of stolbur phytoplasma on blackberry - a new natural host in Serbia

• Published in: Genetika (Beograd) Vol. 43; no. 3; pp. 559 - 568
• Main Authors: Kuzmanovic, Slobodan, Starovic, Mira, Pavlovic, Snezana, Gavrilovic, Veljko, Aleksic, Goran, Stojanovic, Sasa, Josic, Dragana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Elongation factor EF-Tu; GANE; GENES; Homology; HOST PLANTS; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_11621; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_3214; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_36334; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_49909; http://www.fao.org/aos/agrovoc#c_6686; Leaves; Phytoplasma; PHYTOPLASME DU STOLBUR; Plant diseases; PLANTAS HUASPEDES; PLANTE HATE; Polymerase chain reaction; rRNA 16S; RUBUS FRUTICOSUS; SERBIA; SERBIE; Stolbur; STOLBUR PHYTOPLASMA; tuf gene; Vitaceae
• ISSN: 0534-0012; 1820-6069
• DOI: 10.2298/GENSR1103559K

During the late summer of 2007, a severe phytoplasma-like disease was observed for the first time in blackberry plants (Rubus fruticosus), commercial cv. Cacanska beztrna. Redness and downward rolling of leaves were symptoms observed in three localities in Central Serbia. The presence of Stolbur phytoplasma, belonging to the taxonomic subgroup 16SrXII-A, in diseased samples was confirmed by the PCR – RFLP analysis of 16S rDNA genes and elongation factor Tu (tuf) gene. A sequence analysis of the tuf gene confirmed homology with phytoplasmas stolbur tuf-type II detected previously in Italian grapevines and red clovers in the Czech Republic. This is the first report of Stolbur phytoplasma 16SrXII-A group tuf-type II on blackberries in Serbia.