Identification of Phytoplasma Infecting Lilium martagon in the Czech Republic

Lilium martagon (Turkʹs-cap lily) found in West Bohemia showed untisual malformation in the shape of a very flattened stem. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fluorescence microscopy (DAPI staining) revealed phytoplasma bodies in sieve tube elements of the diseased plant, but not in healthy ones. The diameter of the bodies ranged from 100 to 900 nm, with an average of 400 nm. Phytoplastna 16S rDNA detection by nested PCR resulted in 1.1 kbp product. Based on restriction analysis of amplified region, this phytoplasma is classified to the aster yellows cluster (16SrI), subgroup 1-C, with clover phyilody phytoplasma as a type strain. Partial phytoplasma 16S rDNA sequence amplified by nested PCR was compared through restriction fragment length polymorphism. No virus infection was detected. This paper is the first report on clover phyilody phytoplasma in a monocotyledonous host identified on molecular level