Apple, pear and apricot trees showing phytoplasma
associated symptoms from Ankara and Isparta provinces were sampled and
investigated to verify the presence of phytoplasma-associated diseases. Totally
31 samples were tested with phytoplasma universal and group specific primers
and the PCR products were restricted using Tru1I,
RsaI and SspI endonucleases. Different RFLP profiles were obtained and
selected samples were directly sequenced. The apple samples were found infected
with 16SrX-A (‘Candidatus Phytoplasma
mali’), while the majority of the pear samples were infected with 16SrX-A and
16SrX-C subgroup phytoplasmas in mixed infection. The 16SrX-B (‘Candidatus Phytoplasma prunorum’),
16SrX-C (‘Candidatus Phytoplasma
pyri’) and mixed infection of 16SrX-A/16SrX-C and 16SrX-C/16SrI (aster yellows)
were detected in the apricot samples. In this study the 16SrI phytoplasmas in
apricot and the mixed phytoplasma infections in pear and apricot trees were detected
in Turkey for the first time.