First Detection and Characterization of Ca. P. brasiliense From Yellowing Peach Tree in Guba Region of Azerbaijan

<p>"Candidatus Phytoplasma brasiliense", a new phytoplasma taxon associated with hibiscus witches<br>broom disease was firstly described in 2001 in Brazil. The disease was characterized by symptoms of<br>witches' broom, i.e. leaf yellowing and malformation.Yellowing peach tree (Prunus persica) samples<br>reminiscent of phytoplasma infection were collected in September 2007 in Guba region, which is an<br>important fruit and vegetable growing area in Azerbaijan. A phytoplasma was detected in the diseased<br>peach tree by amplification of its 16 S rDNA by nested PCR with universal primers for phytoplasmas.<br>It was furthermore characterized by RFLP and nucleotide sequence analyses of 16S rDNA. It was<br>shown that a phytoplasma infected peach tree is Candidatus Phytoplasma brasiliense. This report con-<br>stitutes the first detection of this phytoplasma in a plant other than hibiscus and elsewhere than in<br>Brazil. To set up a specific detection test, cloning of a 'Ca. P. brasiliense' DNA fragment was underta-<br>ken by comparative RAPD. The amplified dnaK-dnaJ genetic locus was used to design a specific PCR<br>test that amplify all 'Ca. P. brasiliense' isolates of the group 16SrXV-A without amplifying the related<br>members of the group 16SrII.</p&gt