Journal of Phytopathology (2008) 156, 93-98

R. Gao, G.-M. Zhang, Y.-F. Lan, T.-S. Zhu, X.-Q. Yu, X.-P. Zhu and X.-D. Li (2008)
Molecular characterization of phytoplasma associated with rose witches'-broom in China
Journal of Phytopathology 156 (2), 93-98
Abstract: In 2005, rose plants (Rosa rugosa cv. 'Plena') exhibiting typical phytoplasma disease symptoms of stunting, yellowing, witches'-broom and dieback were observed in Pingyin, Shandong Province, China. The disease, rose witches'-broom (RoWB), is progressively destructive and can be graft-transmitted. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), sequencing of PCR products and electron microscopy were used to investigate the possible association of phytoplasma with RoWB. All results indicated that presence of phytoplasma in the symptomatic rose plants. Sequence alignment of 16S rRNA gene, tuf gene and rp gene confirmed that the phytoplasma associated with RoWB is the causal agent of Paulownia witches'-broom disease, which might be transmitted from the paulownia tree that is several meters away. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the molecular characterization of phytoplasma infecting rose in China.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Xiang-Dong Li

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution
molecular biology - genes

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Phytoplasma asteris	Rosa (crop)	China (NE)