Identification of phytoplasmas from Neoaliturus haematoceps associated with sesame phyllody disease in southwestern Turkey

Phytoplasmas were detected based on nested PCR of the F2nR2 region of the 16S rDNA from Neoaliturus haematoceps (Mulsant and Rey) (Family: Cicadellidae). A total of 65 insect samples collected from sesame fields in Antalya, Turkey, during 2012-2014 were tested for phytoplasma detection. Phytoplasmas detected in fifteen samples showed an amplicon approximately 1250bp in size using the universal primers of P1/P7 and R16F2n/R16R2. Identification of the phytoplasmas by sequence analysis revealed three different 16S rDNA phytoplasma groups: the peanut witches'-broom, group II; clover proliferation, group VI; and pigeon pea witches'-broom, group IX. The molecular characterization of subgroups was determined by sequence analysis and PCR-RFLP using the restriction enzymes RsaI and TaqI. Restriction profiles of the subgroups were also confirmed using the iPhyclassifier program. BLAST and PCR-RFLP analyses classified the subgroups as II-D, VI-A and IX-C. This is the first report of molecular detection of three 16S rDNA subgroups of phytoplasmas, II-D, VI-A and IX-C, from N.haematoceps in Turkey. This study also supports earlier studies of sesame phyllody phytoplasmas by N.haematoceps.