Journal of Phytopathology (2016) 164, 52-55

Yi Yang, Lei Jiang, Hai-Yan Che, Xue-Ren Cao, Jing-Yu Yang, Li-Wei Sang, Ai-Qin Liu and Da-Quan Luo (2016)
Molecular identification of a 16SrII-A group-related phytoplasma associated with cinnamon yellow leaf disease in China
Journal of Phytopathology 164 (1), 52-55
Abstract: Chinese cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia Presl), an evergreen tree native to China, is a multifaceted medicinal plant. The stem bark of cinnamon is used worldwide in traditional and modern medicines and is one of the most popular cooking spices. In recent years, cinnamon with pronounced yellow leaf symptoms has been observed in their natural habitat in Hainan, China. Phytoplasmas were detected from symptomatic cinnamon trees via polymerase chain reaction using phytoplasma universal primers P1/P7 followed by R16F2n/R16R2. No amplification products were obtained from templates of asymptomatic cinnamon trees. These results indicated a direct association between phytoplasma infection and the cinnamon yellow leaf (CYL) disease. Sequence analysis of the CYL phytoplasma 16S rRNA gene determined that CYL phytoplasma is a ' Candidatus Phytoplasma australasiae'-related strain. Furthermore, virtual restriction fragment length polymorphism pattern analysis and phylogenetic studies showed that CYL phytoplasma belongs to the peanut witches'-broom (16SrII) group, subgroup A. This is the first report of a 16SrII group phytoplasma infecting cinnamon under natural conditions.
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Link to article at publishers website

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	16SrII phytoplasma group	Cinnamomum (crop)	China (south)