Identification of 16SrXI phytoplasmas in sugarcane and alternative host plants in Karnataka, India

Sugarcane crop is severely affected by diverse phytoplasma-associated diseases worldwide. Symptomatic sugarcane, eggplant and cluster bean together with weeds such as false daisy, Croton sparsiflorum, and Parthenium hysterophorus samples were collected at Khanapur village in Karnataka, India in 2018. The molecular analyses of the samples allowed to identify the presence of 16SrXI phytoplasma group after nested PCR amplification of the 16S rRNA gene followed by RFLP and sequencing analyses. The virtual and real RFLP analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence suggested its classification in a new ribosomal subgroup tentatively named 16SrXI-G. Amplification of secA and tuf genes from the sugarcane samples also confirmed the presence of 16SrXI group phytoplasmas in sugarcane and other host plant species in India and indicate their close relationship with sugarcane white leaf phytoplasmas from Sri Lanka and Vietnam. The identification of this phytoplasma strain in sugarcane, brinjal, cluster beans and weeds, in and around sugarcane fields in Karnataka, is an important information that should be employed to help the disease management aimed to reduce the phytoplasma incidence and economic losses in sugarcane.