Identification of a ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma hispanicum’-related strain, associated with yellows-type diseases, in smoke-tree sharpshooter (Homalodisca liturata Ball)

The 16SrXIII group from phytoplasma bacteria were identified in salivary glands from Homalodisca liturata, which were collected in El Comitan on the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. We were able to positively identify 15 16S rRNA gene sequences with the corresponding signature sequence of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma ’ (CAAGAYBATKATGTKTAGCYGGDCT) and in silico restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) profiles (F value estimations) coupled with a phylogenetic analysis to confirm their relatedness to ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma hispanicum’ , which in turn belongs to the 16SrXIII group. A restriction analysis was carried out with AluI and EcoRI to confirm that the five sequences belongs to subgroup D. The rest of the sequences did not exhibit any known RFLP profile related to a subgroup reported in the 16SrXIII group.