Amaranthus caudatus subsp. mantegazzianus: A new host of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma hispanicum’ (subgroup 16Sr XIII‐A)
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Data
2019-08-16Autor
Noelting, Maria Cristina
Ferreira, Jacson
Rodrigues Galvão, Sarah
Greizerstein, Eduardo
Molina, Maria del Cármen
López, César Gabriel
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In Argentina, amaranth is a promising crop due to high nutritional quality and ability
to grow in a diversity of environments. In areas cultivated with amaranth, were
observed plants exhibiting slow growth, deformed leaves, proliferation of shoots and
malformed lateral panicles. Field survey revealed up to 96% disease incidence and
92% of the seeds collected from mother plants produced diseased seedlings. A phytoplasma
was detected in association with seedlings and adult plants using nested
PCR assays. Molecular identification by computer‐simulated RFLP and phylogenetic
analysis evidenced the occurrence of a ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma hispanicum’‐related
strain, affiliated with 16SrXIII‐A subgroup. The findings implicate amaranth as a new
host for this subgroup and as a potential reservoir of the pathogen for other cultivated
species. In addition, to the best of our knowledge, this study reports for the
first time the presence of 16SrXIII‐A phytoplasma in Argentina and in South America.
Furthermore, transmission assays pointed that naturally infected seed is an important
vehicle of dissemination of the pathogen, threatening the expansion of the crop
for new geographical areas.