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Identification and multilocus gene characterization of phytoplasmas associated with sweet cherry in India

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Abstract

Symptoms of leaf roll, swollen nodes, flat branch and witches’ broom were observed in five cultivars of sweet cherry from Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir province, India, during 2019–2021. Phytoplasmas association were confirmed by amplifying 16S rRNA, secA, rp, tuf and secY genes with phytoplasma-specific primers in all symptomatic sweet cherry cultivars in nested PCR assays. Pairwise sequence comparison, phylogeny and virtual RFLP (16S rRNA gene) analyses confirmed the presence of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’ and ‘Ca. P. trifolii’ strains in the sweet cherry samples. The incidence of flat branch and witches’ broom symptoms associated with ‘Ca. P. trifolii’ varied from 5.8 to 25% in cultivars Bigarreau Nepoleon (Double), Bigarreau Noir Grossa and CITH-Cherry-9. However, incidence of leaf rolling, swollen nodes and bud proliferation associated with ‘Ca. P. asteris’ was recorded 7.5% in cultivar Stella and 10% in Sunburst, respectively, in the surveyed area. The multigene characterization of sweet cherry phytoplasma strains confirmed the validity of these molecular markers for identification of phytoplasmas enclosed in 16SrI and 16SrVI groups. The presence of phytoplasmas in sweet cherry is the first report from India.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for the financial help provided by the Director, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India. The authors are also thankful to the Director, ICAR-Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture, Srinagar, India, for providing help during survey and the samples collection at the institute experimental fields and also their help in recording disease incidence on cherry orchards. We would also like to thank the Head, Division of Plant Pathology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, for providing laboratory facilities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Plant Pathology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India

    Y. S. Shreenath & Govind P. Rao

  2. ICAR-Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture, Srinagar, J&K, 191132, India

    Sajad Un Nabi & G. S. Madhu

  3. ICAR-Central Institute of Arid Horticulture, Bikaner, Rajasthan, 334006, India

    Kishan Lal Kumawat

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  1. Y. S. Shreenath
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Contributions

The authors conceived the idea, analyzed data and drafted the manuscript for publication. The first author YSS did the survey, sample analysis, sequence analysis and sequence submission and also contributed significantly to the preparation of draft of the manuscript. SUN, GSM and KLK contributed to the survey and sample collection, and helped to record disease incidence and finalization of the manuscript, and GPR contributed significantly to the preparation of draft of the manuscript, finalization of the manuscript and formatting.

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Correspondence to Y. S. Shreenath.

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Shreenath, Y.S., Nabi, S.U., Madhu, G.S. et al. Identification and multilocus gene characterization of phytoplasmas associated with sweet cherry in India. 3 Biotech 12, 291 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-022-03357-2

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