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Spiralin diversity within Iranian strains of Spiroplasma citri

Amin Khanchezar1, Laure Béven, Keramat Izadpanah

  • 1Plant Virology Research Centre (PVRC), College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

Current Microbiology
|September 3, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Spiroplasma citri, a pathogen causing citrus stubborn disease, exhibits genetic diversity in Iranian strains. Researchers discovered a unique spiralin gene duplication in one isolate, Spiroplasma citri Shiraz I.

Area of Science:

  • Phytopathology
  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Spiroplasma citri is the primary cause of citrus stubborn disease, a significant agricultural issue.
  • This mollicute is transmitted by leafhoppers and restricted to plant sieve tubes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the genetic diversity of Spiroplasma citri strains from southern Iran.
  • To analyze the spiralin gene sequences and identify variations among isolates.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation of Spiroplasma citri from infected citrus, sesame, safflower, and the leafhopper vector Circulifer haematoceps.
  • Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, cloning, and sequencing of the spiralin gene.
  • Phylogenetic analysis and amino acid sequence comparison of spiralin.

Main Results:

  • Phylogenetic analysis revealed three distinct clusters among the studied Spiroplasma citri strains.
  • Eleven spiralin gene sequences from Iranian isolates were compared with reference strains.
  • A Spiroplasma citri isolate (Shiraz I) exhibited a unique spiralin with a large internal duplication, resulting in 346 amino acids.

Conclusions:

  • The study highlights significant spiralin gene diversity within Spiroplasma strains in southern Iran.
  • A novel partial internal duplication of the spiralin gene was identified for the first time in Spiroplasma citri.

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