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Title: FIRST REPORT OF ASTER YELLOWS-RELATED SUBGROUP I-A PHYTOPLASMA STRAINS IN CARROT, PHLOX, SEA-LAVENDER, ACONITUM, AND HYACINTH IN LITHUANIA

Author
item VALIUNAS, D - INST OF BOTANY LITHUANIA
item ALMINAITE, A - INST OF BOTANY LITHUANIA
item STANIULIS, J - INST OF BOTANY LITHUANIA
item JOMANTIENE, R - INST OF BOTANY LITHUANIA
item Davis, Robert

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/10/2001
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Phytoplasmas are responsible for numerous diseases of economically important plants worldwide. This problem is complicated by the fact that little is known about the variety of plant species that can be infected by specific phytoplasmas and about the geographical ranges that specific phytoplasmas occupy. Our work was aimed at the detection and identification of phytoplasmas affecting several plant species in Lithuania in order to facilitate efforts to devise measures for reducing the harmful effects and preventing the spread of phytoplasmal plant diseases. We searched for evidence of phytoplasma in diseased plants of carrot, phlox, sea-lavender, aconitum, and hyacinth in Lithuania through the use of molecular methods to detect and analyze a phytoplasma gene that encodes ribosomal RNA, which is involved in the synthesis of proteins. We found that all of these plant species were infected by strains of a phytoplasma that is related to the subgroup I-B aster yellows phytoplasma common in North America. Our work is the first to record the presence of this phytoplasma subgroup in the Baltic region, and it expands the known plant host range of this phytoplasma subgroup. The findings will be of interest to ecologists, plant pathologists, plant disease diagnosticians, producers of pathogen-free planting stock, and agencies involved in establishing and implementing quarantine measures to prevent the spread of exotic pathogens.

Technical Abstract: No abstract needed.