Differentiation of Phytoplasmas Infecting Zizyphus jujuba and Paulownia coreana Using PCR-RELP

The relationships between the phytoplasmas infecting Zizyphus jujuba and Paulownia coreana were investigated by PCR-RELP. The 16S rRNA genes of the phytoplasmas were analyzed and compared with each other after PCR amplification. The amplified bands 1.4 kb in size were analyzed by both restriction digestion and sequencing after cloning into a plasmid vector. In some cases, two different kinds of inserts were observed in the isolates that originated from a single plant. However, many of them appeared to be the amplification products of chloroplastic 16S rRNA gene of host plants. The phytoplasma gene could be differentiated from the chloroplastic gene by restriction digestion of the plasmids carrying the amplification products. Only the recombinant plasmids carrying phytoplasma 16S rRNA gene produced a 1.4 kb band when digested with the enzyme BanII. Of the 52 recombinant plasmids analyzed, 42 appeared to contain inserts that originated from the chloroplastic 16S rRNA gene of the host plants. No variation was detected among 16S rRNA gene of nine phytoplasma isolates infecting Z. jujuba. However, the phytoplasmas infecting Z. jujuba were different from that infecting P. coreana.