Molecular characterization of a 16SrIX phytoplasma associated with Convolvulus glomeratus witches' broom and with an insect vector in Iran

During a survey in 2016, convolvulus glomeratus showing symptoms resembling those caused by phytoplasmas were observed in bandar abbas, hormozgan province, iran. these plants were examined for phytoplasma presence by nested-pcr assays using universal primer pair p1/p7 followed by r16f2n/r16r2. all the infected plants indicated positive results using universal primer pairs of p1/p7 followed by r16f2n/r16r2. results of phylogenetic and virtual rflp analyses of the 16s rrna gene sequences revealed that the phytoplasma associated with convolvulus glomeratus witches' broom (cgwb) was a strain of 'candidatus phytoplasma phoenicium'. the phytoplasma was successfully transmitted to healthy plants by leafhopper, orosius albicinctus (distant) which account as a vector of this phytoplasma. this is the first report on the presence of ‘candidatus phytoplasma phoenicium’ (phytoplasma group 16srix-j) in c. glomeratus and its insect vector in iran.