'Candidatus phytoplasma palmicola’: a novel taxon associated with a lethal yellowing-type disease (LYD) of coconut ( Cocos nucifera L.) in Mozambique

Harrison, Nigel A.; Davis, Robert E.; Oropeza, Carlo; Helmick, Erik E.; Narvaez, Maria; Eden-Green, Simon; Dollet, Michel; Dickinson, Matthew; Konan Konan, Jean L.

Abstract

In this study, the taxonomic position and group classification of the phytoplasma associated with a lethal yellowing-type disease (LYD) of coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) in Mozambique were addressed. Pairwise sequence similarity values based on alignment of near full-length 16SrRNA genes (1530 bp) revealed that the Mozambique coconut phytoplasma (LYDM) shared 100% identity with a comparable sequence derived from a phytoplasma strain (LDN), responsible for Awka wilt disease of coconut in Nigeria, and shared 99-99.6% identity with 16S rRNA sequences from strains associated with Cape St. Paul wilt (CSPW) disease of coconut in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. Similarity scores further determined the 16S rRNA gene of LYDM phytoplasma to share <97.5% sequence identity with all prior descriptions of ‘Ca. Phytoplasma’ species. Presence of unique regions in the 16S rRNA distinguished LYDM phytoplasma from all currently described ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma’ species, justifying its recognition as reference strain of a novel taxon, ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma palmicola’. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) profiles of the F2n/R2 portion (1251 bp) of the 16S rRNA gene and pattern similarity coefficient values delineated coconut LYDM phytoplasma strains from Mozambique as new members of established group 16SrXXII, subgroup A (16SrXXII-A). Similarity coefficients of 0.97 were obtained for comparisons between subgroup 16SrXXII-A strains and CSPW phytoplasmas from Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. On this basis, CSPW phytoplasma strains were designated as members of a new subgroup, 16SrXXII-B.

Citation

Harrison, N. A., Davis, R. E., Oropeza, C., Helmick, E. E., Narvaez, M., Eden-Green, S., Dollet, M., Dickinson, M., & Konan Konan, J. L. (2014). 'Candidatus phytoplasma palmicola’: a novel taxon associated with a lethal yellowing-type disease (LYD) of coconut ( Cocos nucifera L.) in Mozambique. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 64(6), https://doi.org/10.1099/ijs.0.060053-0

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Feb 28, 2014
• Deposit Date: Apr 23, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 23, 2015
• Journal: International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology
• Print ISSN: 1466-5026
• Electronic ISSN: 1466-5034
• Publisher: Microbiology Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 64
• Issue: 6
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1099/ijs.0.060053-0
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/722662
• Publisher URL: http://ijs.sgmjournals.org/content/64/Pt_6/1890.abstract
• Additional Information: This is not the version of record of this article. This is an author accepted manuscript (AAM) that has been accepted for publication in International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology that has not been copy-edited, typeset or proofed. The Society for General Microbiology (SGM) does not permit the posting of AAMs for commercial use or systematic distribution. SGM disclaims any responsibility or liability for errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or in any version derived from it by any other parties. The final version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1099/ijs.0.060053-0 2014