Publications

4603

Abstract Pistachio ( Pistacia vera L.) is a vital crop for Türkiye's economy, occupying over 420 000 ha, primarily in south‐eastern Anatolia. In 2023, severe symptoms, such as curling, chlorosis and needle‐like leaf deformation, were observed on pistachio trees in Şanlıurfa Province. This prompted a molecular study of phytoplasma pathogens. A real‐time PCR targeting the 16SrDNA gene was used to analyse DNA from eight symptomatic and two asymptomatic trees. A phytoplasma was found in two symptomatic samples but not in asymptomatic controls. Positive samples were further analysed using nested PCR. One sequence with 99% identity to ‘ Candidatus Phytoplasma trifolii’ (16SrVI‐A subgroup) was found by bidirectional sequencing of PCR products. The identification of the phytoplasma was confirmed by a phylogenetic analysis showing the clustering of the UP 1 isolate with ‘ Ca. Phytoplasma trifolii’ reference strain and by a virtual RFLP analysis using 17 restrictions enzymes. This first report of ‘ Ca. Phytoplasma trifolii’ in pistachio in Türkiye highlights the presence of this phytoplasma in a key agricultural sector. Although no yield losses have been observed to date, broader surveys and monitoring of leafhopper vectors are necessary to assess the potential risk and implement timely management strategies.

ABSTRACT Candidatus Saccharimonadia is a class‐level lineage of ultrasmall bacteria within the phylum Minisyncoccota (formerly Candidate Phyla Radiation or Ca . Patescibacteria), commonly found in activated sludge processes treating municipal wastewater. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the metabolic potential of Ca . Saccharimonadia by using shotgun metagenomic sequencing combined with a filtration‐based size‐fractionation approach for activated sludge from five wastewater treatment plants. A total of 65 high‐quality metagenomic bins were recovered, belonging to four orders and 19 families of Ca . Saccharimonadia, including previously unreported lineages in activated sludge. These bins had small genomes (approximately 0.46–1.73 Mbp) with limited metabolic capabilities, indicating dependency on other microorganisms. Notably, the order Ca . Saccharimonadales retained a type IV secretion system and effector gene cluster for parasitic interactions with the hosts, suggesting that Ca . Saccharimonadales bacteria may exhibit a parasitic lifestyle. Co‐occurrence network analysis showed that members of the order Ca . Saccharimonadales were significantly correlated with multiple lineages, including Actinobacteriota , for which a parasitic relationship has been previously demonstrated. Our results shed light on the potential ecophysiology of the diverse members of Ca . Saccharimonadia, providing a comprehensive understanding of Ca . Saccharimonadia in activated sludge.