Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Identification of a novel phytoplasma (16Sr XIV-A subgroup) associated with little leaf and witches’ broom of Cannabis sativa L. ssp. sativa and C. sativa L. ssp. indica in India

  • Published:
Phytoparasitica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Symptoms of yellowing, little leaf and witches’ broom on Cannabis sativa L. ssp. sativa and C. sativa L. ssp. indica plants were recorded in and around sugarcane fields at Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India, during May–June 2013. Symptomatic plants yielded phytoplasma DNA bands of ~1.2 kb from nested PCR assays using universal phytoplasma primers P1/P6 and R16F2n/R16R2. BLASTn search analysis of both C. sativa ssp. phytoplasma isolates showed that the 16S rDNA sequences shared a 99 % of sequence identity between each other and with those of the phytoplasma strains of 16SrXIV group (‘Candidatus Phytoplasma cynodontis’). Phylogenetic analysis of the 16SrDNA sequences of both phytoplasma isolates revealed their closest relationship with members of the 16SrXIV group. This supports the association of phytoplasma strains of the 16Sr XIV group with Cannabis little leaf and witches’ broom diseases (Can LL-WB). Actual and virtual RFLP analysis of the 16S rDNA sequences of Can LL-WB phytoplasma isolates confirmed that they belonged to the 16Sr XIV-A subgroup. This is the first world report of a 16SXIV-A subgroup phytoplasma infection in C. sativa sp. sativa and C. sativa sp. indica plants.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

References

  • Ahrens, U., & Seemüller, E. (1992). Detection of DNA of plant pathogenic mycoplasma like organisms by a polymerase chain reaction that amplifies a sequence of the 16S rRNA gene. Phytopathology, 82, 828–832.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Amar, B. B. (2006). Cannabinoids in medicine: A review of their therapeutic potential. Journal of Ethnopharmocology, 105, 1–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bertaccini, A., & Duduk, B. (2009). Phytoplasma and phytoplasma diseases: a review of recent research. Phytopathologica Mediterranea, 48, 355–378.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Deng, S., & Hiruki, C. (1991). Amplification of 16S rRNA genes from culturable and non- culturable mollicutes. Journal of Microbiology Methods, 14, 53–61.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Goutopoulos, A., & Makriyannis, A. (2002). From cannabis to cannabinergics: new therapeutic opportunities. Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 95, 103–117.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gundersen, D. E., & Lee, I. M. (1996). Ultrasensitive detection of phytoplasmas by nested-PCR assays using two universal primer pairs. Phytopathologica Mediterranea, 35, 144–151.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jung, H., Kim, Y., Back, C., & Win, N. (2011). "Candidatus Phytoplasma cynodontis" associated with white leaf disease of golden beard grass (Chrysopogon acicalatus). (http://www.straininfo.net/sequences/AB642601/ browser/ddbj).

  • Kuddus, M., Ginawi, I. A. M., & Al-Hazimi, A. (2013). Cannabis sativa: An ancient wild edible plant of India. Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture, 25, 736–745.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, I.-M., Gundersen-Rindal, D., Davis, R. E., & Bartoszyk, I. M. (1998). Revised classification scheme of phytoplasmas based on RFLP analysis of 16S rRNA and ribosomal protein gene sequences. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology, 48, 1153–1169.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mall, S., Rao, G. P., & Marcone, C. (2010). Phytoplasma diseases of weeds: detection, taxonomy and diversity. pp. 87-108. In R. K. Gaur (Ed.), Recent trends in biotechnology and microbiology. Hauppauge, NY, USA: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mall, S., Upadhyaya, P. P., & Rao, G. P. (2011). Detection of a 16SrI phytoplasma associated with Cannabis sativa in India. Indian Phytopathology, 43, 132–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marcone, C., Gibb, K. S., Streten, C., & Schneider, B. (2004). ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma spartii’, ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma rhamni’ and ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma allocasuarinae’, respectively associated with spartium witches’-broom, buckthorn witches’-broom and allocasuarina yellows diseases. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 54, 1025–1029.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marcone, C., Ragozzino, A., & Seemüller, E. (1997). Detection of Bermuda grass white leaf disease in Italy and genetic characterization of the associated phytoplasma by RFLP analysis. Plant Disease, 81, 862–866.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Munyaneza, J. E., Crosslin, J. M., & Upton, J. E. (2006). The beet leafhopper (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) transmits the Columbia Basin potato purple top phytoplasma to potatoes, beets, and weeds. Journal of Economic Entomology, 99, 268–272.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nejat, N., Sijam, K., Abdullah, S. N. A., Vadamalai, G., & Dickinson, M. (2009). Molecular characterization of a phytoplasma associated with coconut yellow decline (CYD) in Malaysia. American Journal of Applied Sciences, 6, 1331–1340.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pasquini, G., Ferretti, L., Gentili, A., Bagnoli, B., Cavalieri, V., & Barba, M. (2007). Molecular characterization of stolbur isolates collected in grapevines, weeds and insects in central and southern Italy. Bulletin of Insectology, 60, 355–356.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raj, S. K., Snehi, S., Khan, M. S., & Kumar, S. (2008). ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’ (group 16SrI) associated with a witches‘-broom disease of Cannabis sativa in India. Plant Pathology, 57, 1173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rao, G. P., Madhupriya, Tiwari, A. K., Kumar, S., & Baranwal, V. K. (2014). Identification of sugarcane grassy shoot-associated phytoplasma and one of its putative vectors in India. Phytoparasitica, 42, 349–354.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rao, G. P., Mall, S., Singh, M., & Marcone, C. (2009). First report of a ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma cynodontis’-related strain (group 16SrXIV) associated with white leaf disease of Dichanthium annulatum in India. Australasian Plant Disease Notes, 4, 56–58.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rao, G. P., Mall, S., & Marcone, C. (2010). ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma cynodontis’ strain (16SrXIV group) affecting Oplismenus burmannii and Digitaria sanguinalis in India. Australasian Plant Disease Notes, 5, 93–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rao, G. P., Raj, S. K., Snehi, S. K., Mall, S., Singh, M., & Marcone, C. (2007). Molecular evidence for the presence of “Candidatus Phytoplasma cynodontis”, the Bermuda grass white leaf agent in India. Bulletin of Insectology, 60, 145–146.

    Google Scholar 

  • Russo, E. B., & Guy, G. W. (2006). A tale of two cannabinoids: the therapeutic rationale for combining tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol. Medical Hypotheses, 66, 234–246.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Salehi, M., Izadpanah, K., Siampour, M., & Taghizadeh, M. (2009). Molecular characterization and transmission of Bermuda grass white leaf phytoplasma in Iran. Journal of Plant Pathology, 91, 655–661.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, B., Seemüller, E., Smart, C. D., & Kirkpatrick, B. C. (1995). Phylogenetic classification of plant pathogenic mycoplasma-like organisms or phytoplasmas. pp. 369–380. In S. Razin & J. G. Tully (Eds.), Molecular and diagnostic procedures in mycoplasmology, Vol. I. Molecular characterization. San Diego, CA, USA: Academic Press Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sichani, F. V., Bahar, M., & Zirak, L. (2011). Characterization of stolbur (16Sr XII) group phytoplasma associated with Cannabis sativa witches’-broom disease in Iran. Plant Pathology Journal, 10, 161–167.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Snehi, S. K., Khan, M. S., Raj, S. K., Mall, S., Singh, M., & Rao, G. P. (2008). Molecular identification of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma cynodontis’ associated with Bermuda grass white leaf disease in India. Plant Pathology, 57, 770.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tamura, K., Peterson, D., Peterson, N., Stecher, G., Nei, M., & Kumar, S. (2011). MEGA 5: Molecular evolutionary genetics analysis using maximum likelihood, evolutionary distance, and maximum parsimony methods. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 24, 1596–1609.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tran-Nguyen, L., Blanche, K. R., Egan, B., & Gibb, K. S. (2000). Diversity of phytoplasmas in northern Australian sugar cane and other grasses. Plant Pathology, 49, 666–679.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao, Y., Sun, Q., Davis, R. E., Lee, I., & Liu, Q. (2007). First report of witches’-broom disease in a Cannabis species and its association with a phytoplasma of Elm yellows group (16SrV). Plant Disease, 91, 227.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao, Y., Wei, W., Lee, I.-M., Shao, J., Suo, X., & Davis, R. E. (2009). Construction of an interactive online phytoplasma classification tool, iPhyClassifier, and its application in analysis of the peach X-disease phytoplasma group (16SrIII). International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 59, 2582–2593.

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, DDU Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur, 273009, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Savita Chaube, Durgesh Dubey & Parmatma Prasad Upadhyaya

  2. Division of Plant Pathology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110012, India

    Shailender Kumar & Govind Pratap Rao

  3. Sugarcane Research Institute, UP Council of Sugarcane Research, Shahjahanpur, 242001, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Ajay Kumar Tiwari

Authors
  1. Savita Chaube
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shailender Kumar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Durgesh Dubey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ajay Kumar Tiwari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Parmatma Prasad Upadhyaya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Govind Pratap Rao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Govind Pratap Rao.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Chaube, S., Kumar, S., Dubey, D. et al. Identification of a novel phytoplasma (16Sr XIV-A subgroup) associated with little leaf and witches’ broom of Cannabis sativa L. ssp. sativa and C. sativa L. ssp. indica in India. Phytoparasitica 43, 275–279 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12600-014-0438-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12600-014-0438-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation