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Pathogenicity mechanisms of phytoplasmas in plants
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Paniz Abdollahi Saeed    , Fatemeh Shahryari * |
| Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Iran , shahryari@znu.ac.ir |
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Abstract: (450 Views) |
Phytoplasmas are microscopic, plant pathogenic and cell wall-less prokaryotes of the class Mollicutes that these obligate intracellular parasites of plants and insects cause devastating destruction and loss of valuable crops worldwide. Phytoplasmas affect annual and perennial plants and gradually cause weakness and death of host plants. Genome sequencing of plant pathogenic prokaryotes reveals their survival and parasitism strategies. Considering the genome sequencing of a large number of phytoplasma species and advances in understanding phytoplasma biology, the most important mechanisms of pathogenicity in phytoplasmas have been described in this research. The main pathogenic factors determined in phytoplasmas include the Sec secretion system, effector proteins such as TENGU, SAP11, and SAP54, and membrane proteins. Phytoplasmic effectors secreted by the Sec secretion system are the most important pathogenic factors which by reducing activity of plant hormones such as auxin and jasmonic acid, affect host plants and cause symptoms such as witches’ broom, phyllody, virescence and etc. These symptoms are able to increase the production of more young and green organs in infected plants and the chance of phytoplasmas multiplication in the tissues. Leafhoppers, which are the main insect vector of phytoplasmas, prefer young and green/yellow tissues for feeding and laying eggs. Therefore, phytoplasmas that are able to make infected plants appear more attractive to insects, in turn increasing their own transmission efficiency and survival. Thus, Phytoplasma-induced symptoms in host plants might be a benefit increasing their fitness and extending their ecological niche.
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Article number: 11 |
| Keywords: Effector protein, phyllody, TENGU, witches’ broom |
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Type of Study: Review |
Subject:
Microrganisms and Viruses
Received: 2024/05/12 | Accepted: 2024/09/10 | Published: 2024/09/19
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