Abstract

CAMARENA GUTIERREZ, G.  and  TORRE ALMARAZ, R. De La. Phytoplasm: symptom and molecular characteristics. Rev. Chapingo ser. cienc. for. ambient [online]. 2008, vol.14, n.2, pp.81-87. ISSN 2007-4018.

Phytoplasms are plant-pathogenic they usually inhabit phloem sieve tubes and are transmitted from plant to plant by phloem-feeding insects. Phytoplasms, formerly called mycoplasm-like organisms, are associated with diseases in several hundred plant species. The use of molecular probes, phytoplasm-specific cloned DNA and monoclonal antibodies have made it possible to classify phytoplasms on the basis of DNA-DNA homology and serological data. Recent investigations, particularly sequence analysis of 16S rDNA, have revealed that phytoplasms constitute a coherent, genus-level taxon. In the monophyletic phytoplasm clade, groups and subgroups have been delineated, many of which are being considered as putative species under the provisional status 'Candidatus' for incompletely described prokaryotes.

Keywords : mycoplasma-like organisms; Mollicutes; insect vector; phylogeny; 'Candidatus'.

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