First report of stolbur phytoplasma infecting celery in Serbia

Abstract

During field survey conducted in 2010 in Serbia, symptoms of foliar reddening were observed on celery on the locality Padinska Skela, in the vicinity of Belgrade. Leaf samples from six symptomatic and two asymptomatic plants were collected and tested for phytoplasma presence detection. Nested polymerase chain reaction analyzes using universal primer pairs P1P7 followed by R16F2n/R2 identified presence of phytoplasmas in all symptomatic plants, while asymptomatic plants were tested negative. Restriction analysis of amplified 16Sr DNA fragments with enzyme Msel identified in all positive samples the same pattern as a reference strain of stolbur phytoplasma belonging to the 16SrXII-A ribosomal subgroup. Molecular differentiation of stolbur phytoplasma detected in celery was performed by amplification and RFLP analysis of the elongation factor Tu (tuf gene). Digestion of tuf gene indicated presence of tuf-type b of stolbur phytoplasma in all symptomatic celery plants. This is the first record of stolbur phytoplasma in association with celery expressing symptoms of foliar reddening in Serbia.