Publications

4368

‘ Candidatus Phytoplasma pruni’ is the causative agent of X-disease on peach ( Prunus persica) trees. Infected trees exhibit premature yellowing, leaf necrosis causing a shot-hole appearance, limb dieback, and eventual death. How pathogen infection leads to these symptoms is unknown. This study undertook a modern characterization of the disease by assessing the physiological and transcriptomic consequences of phytoplasma infection. Phytoplasma titer was high in the symptomatic tissues and undetected or low in asymptomatic tissues. Symptomatic leaves had a significant decrease in chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids. Transcriptomic analysis showed alterations in genes related to phytohormone synthesis and signaling, circadian rhythms, lignification, and sugar synthesis and transport. Several transcripts that might be related to symptom development were identified. Collectively, these data give a much clearer picture of symptom development in ‘ Ca. P. pruni’-infected P. persica and provide several avenues for further research in determining how ‘ Ca. P. pruni’ interacts with its host to elicit the observed symptoms. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .

El cultivo de chile en el norte centro de México es dañado por la infección causada por Candidatus Phytoplasma trifolii. Los síntomas de la enfermedad incluyen clorosis, deformación foliar, enanismo y sobredesarrollo floral (yema grande) con necrosis de pistilo y anteras. La distribución de yemas grandes en la planta es irregular. Ello sugiere que el patógeno o sus efectores se moverían irregularmente dentro de la planta. Por lo tanto, el objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar la presencia de Candidatus Phytoplasma trifolii en diferentes órganos de plantas de chile con síntomas de yema grande. Plantas enfermas de chile tipo Mirasol fueron recolectadas en una parcela comercial en Zacatecas, México, y sus raíces, tallos, hojas, frutos y yemas grandes fueron analizadas por PCR universal y anidada para detectar la presencia del fitoplasma. El patógeno fue detectado en cinco de ocho plantas analizadas, en por lo menos un órgano de cada planta; sin embargo, su distribución dentro de las plantas fue irregular. El porcentaje de detección fue 33.3, 62.5, 70, 80 y 100 % en raíces, hojas, tallos, frutos y yemas grandes, respectivamente. En frutos de plantas de chile sintomáticas a yema grande, el fitoplasma fue detectado en el pedúnculo, placenta y semillas.

The almond, a commercially important tree nut crop worldwide, is native to the Mediterranean region. Stone fruit trees are affected by at least 14 ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma’ species globally, among which ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’ is one of the most widespread phytoplasma infecting Prunus dulcis, causing aster yellows disease. Recently, almond plantations of Nauni region were consistently affected by phytoplasma, as evidenced by visible symptoms, fluorescent microscopic studies and molecular characterization. During several surveys from May to September 2020–2022, almond aster yellows phytoplasma disease showing symptoms such as chlorosis, inward rolling, reddening, scorching and decline with an incidence as high as 40%. Leaf samples were collected from symptomatic almond trees and the presence of phytoplasma was confirmed through fluorescent microscopic studies by employing DAPI (4, 6-diamino-2-phenylindole) that showed distinctive light blue flourescent phytoplasma bodies in phloem sieve tube elements. The presence of phytoplasma in symptomatic almond trees was further confirmed using nested PCR with specific primer pairs followed by amplification of 16S rDNA and 16S-23S rDNA intergenic spacer (IS) fragments. Sequencing and BLAST analysis of expected amplicon of the 16S rDNA gene confirmed that the almond phytoplasma in Himachal Pradesh was identical to the aster yellows group phytoplasma. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rDNA almond phytoplasma also grouped ‘Prunus dulcis’ aster yellows phytoplasma within 16SrI-B subgroup showed 94% nucleotide identity with ‘Prunus dulcis’ phytoplasma PAEs3 and ‘Prunus dulcis’ phytoplasma PAE28 from Iran. This research presents the first host report of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’ infecting almonds in India, expanding the knowledge of the diversity and distribution of phytoplasma strains affecting almond trees globally.

AbstractTo verify the parasitic lifestyle ofCandidatusPatescibacteria in the enrichment cultures derived from a methanogenic bioreactor, we applied multifaceted approaches combining cultivation, microscopy, metatranscriptomic, and protein structure prediction analyses. Cultivation experiments with the addition of exogenous methanogenic archaea with acetate, amino acids, and nucleoside monophosphates and 16S rRNA gene sequencing confirmed the increase in the relative abundance ofCa. Patescibacteria and methanogens. The predominantCa. Patescibacteria wereCa. Yanofskybacteria and 32-520 lineages (to which belongs to classCa. Paceibacteria) and positive linear relationships (r2≥ 0.70) between the relative abundance ofCa. Yanofskybacteria andMethanothrix, suggesting that the tendency of the growth rate is similar to that of the host. By fluorescencein situhybridization (FISH) observations, the FISH signals ofMethanothrixandMethanospirillumcells withCa. Yanofskybacteria and with 32-520 lineages, respectively, were significantly lower than those of the methanogens withoutCa. Patescibacteria, suggesting their parasitic interaction. The TEM and SEM observations also support parasitism in that the cell walls and plugs of these methanogens associated with submicron cells were often deformed. In particular, someMethanothrix-like filamentous cells were dented where the submicron cells were attached. Metatranscriptomic and protein structure prediction analyses identified highly expressed secreted genes from the genomes ofCa. Yanofskybacteria and 32-520, and these genes contain adhesion-related domains to the host cells. Considering the results through the combination of microscopic observations, gene expression, and computational protein modeling, we propose that the interactions betweenCa. Yanofskybacteria and 32-520 belonging to classCa. Paceibacteria and methanogenic archaea are parasitism.

Trichomonas vaginalis is a pathogenic protozoan diffused worldwide capable of infecting the urogenital tract in humans, causing trichomoniasis. One of its most intriguing aspects is the ability to establish a close relationship with endosymbiotic microorganisms: the unique association of T. vaginalis with the bacterium Mycoplasma hominis represents, to date, the only example of an endosymbiosis involving two true human pathogens. Since its discovery, several aspects of the symbiosis between T. vaginalis and M. hominis have been characterized, demonstrating that the presence of the intracellular guest strongly influences the pathogenic characteristics of the protozoon, making it more aggressive towards host cells and capable of stimulating a stronger proinflammatory response. The recent description of a further symbiont of the protozoon, the newly discovered non-cultivable mycoplasma Candidatus Mycoplasma girerdii, makes the picture even more complex. This review provides an overview of the main aspects of this complex microbial consortium, with particular emphasis on its effect on protozoan pathobiology and on the interplays among the symbionts.