Molecular identification of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’ inducing histological anomalies in Silene nicaeensis.

Numerous plants of Silene nicaeensis having symptoms resembling those associated with the presence of phytoplasmas were observed in an extensive coastal area in the south of Italy. Microscopic observation showed histological abnormalities in the organization of tissues in symptomatic plants, and molecular tests, including PCR/RFLP analyses and nucleic acid sequencing, revealed the presence of phytoplasmas belonging to the aster yellows group (‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’). This is the first report of phytoplasma infection in S. nicaeensis, a wild species that colonizes the Calabrian coast.