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Title: FIRST REPORT OF ALDER YELLOWS PHYTOPLASMA IN THE EASTERN BALTIC REGION

Author
item VALIUNAS, D - VILNIUS LITHUANIA
item ALMINAITE, A - VILNIUS LITHUANIA
item STANIULIS, J - VILNIUS LITHUANIA
item JOMANTIENE, R - VILNIUS LITHUANIA
item Davis, Robert

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/30/2002
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Alnus glutinosa (alder) is an important component of the biological diversity in natural forest ecosystems in the Baltic region. In 2000, diseased alder was observed in Aukstatija National Forest. Symptoms of the disease were characteristic of diseases caused by phytoplasmas, which are cell wall-less, non-culturable bacteria that are transmitted by insects and infect plants. A phytoplasma-characteristic 16S ribosomal (r) DNA was amplified in polymerase chain reactions (PCR) that contained template DNA derived from the diseased alder. RFLP analysis of the amplified 16S rDNA indicated that the diseased alder was infected by a phytoplasma, designated ALY-L, that belonged to group 16S rRNA (elm yellows phytoplasma group), subgroup C (V-C). The 16S rDNA from ALY-L shared 100% nucleotide sequence similarity with 16S rDNA from alder yellows disease phytoplasma found in Italy. This is the first finding of a group 16SrV phytoplasma in Lithuania, and also the first finding of any phytoplasma in trees in the eastern Baltic region. These findings contribute knowledge about the diversity of phytoplasmas in the Baltic region and the distribution of alder yellows disease phytoplasma in Europe. Since apparently symptomless trees of A. glutinosa and A. incana have been reported elsewhere and the leafhopper vector (Oncopsis alni) of ALY is found throughout Europe, it is possible that strains of ALY-L phytoplasma are widespread throughout the geographical range of alder in the Baltic region. It will be important to assess impacts of ALY-L and other phytoplasmal infections on trends in biological diversity in natural forest ecosystems of the Baltic region and elsewhere in Europe.

Technical Abstract: NOT REQUIRED.