M. Salehi

Genetic diversity and vector transmission of phytoplasmas associated with sesame phyllody in Iran

During 2010–14 surveys in the major sesame growing areas of Fars, Yazd and Isfahan provinces (Iran), genetic diversity and vector transmission of phytoplasmas associated with sesame phyllody were studied. Virtual RFLP, phylogenetic, and DNA homology analyses of partial 16S ribosomal sequences of phytoplasma strains associated with symptomatic plants revealed the presence of phytoplasmas referable to three ribosomal subgroups, 16SrII-D, 16SrVI-A, and 16SrIX-C. The same analyses using 16S rDNA sequences from sesame phyllody-associated phytoplasmas retrieved from GenBank database showed the presence of phytoplasmas clustering with strains in the same subgroups in other Iranian provinces including Bushehr and Khorasan Razavi. Circulifer haematoceps and Orosius albicinctus, known vectors of the disease in Iran, were tested for transmission of the strains identified in this study. C. haematoceps transmitted 16SrII-D, 16SrVI-A, and 16SrIX-C phytoplasmas, while O. albicinctus only transmitted 16SrII-D strains. Based on the results of the present study and considering the reported presence of phytoplasmas belonging to the same ribosomal subgroups in other crops, sesame fields probably play an important role in the epidemiology of other diseases associated with these phytoplasmas in Iran.

MOLECULAR AND BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A 16SrII PHYTOPLASMA ASSOCIATED WITH CARROT WITCHES’ BROOM IN IRAN

During 2011-14 surveys, a witches’ broom (CarWB) disease was observed in carrot fields of Chahgeer and Salim Abad in Abarkooh and Khatam regions (Yazd province, Iran). The main symptoms of CarWB disease were little leaf, yellowing, proliferation of shoots from taproot, stunting of taproot, virescence, phyllody, leaf reddening and witches’ broom. The disease agent was transmitted by graft and dodder to periwinkle inducing phytoplasma-type symptoms. Orosius albicinctus leafhopper was identified as a natural vector of CarWB disease since it was able to transmit the agent from naturally witches’ broom infected carrot to healthy alfalfa and carrot plants. Direct and nested polymerase chain reaction assays using phytoplasma-specific primer pairs amplified products of expected size from symptomatic carrot in the field and symptomatic grafted, dodder and vector inoculated plants. Restriction fragment length polymorphism and phylogenetic analyses of partial 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that phytoplasmas associated with CarWB disease in Yazd province belong to peanut witches’ broom (16SrII) phytoplasma group, subgroup C. Considering the disease vector is found to be the same of alfalfa witches’ broom infecting fields in the same areas, alfalfa seems to have an important role in the epidemiology of CarWB disease spreading in Yazd province. This is the first report of association of a 16SrII phytoplasma with carrot witches’ broom disease.

First report of a 'Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris' related phytoplasma associated with Eucalyptus little leaf disease in Iran.

During 2008-13 surveys, Eucalyptus camaldulensis little leaf (ELL) disease was observed in Firuzabad, Shiraz and Darab (Fars province, Iran), consisting of proliferation of auxiliary buds, formation of brooms on branches and trunk, yellowing, reddening and reduction of the leaf size, tree decline and death within 3-4 years from the onset of symptoms. Total DNA extracted from 15 ELL-affected and five symptomless plants was tested by direct and nested PCR using the phytoplasma primer pair P1/P7 (Deng and Hiruki, 1991; Schneider et al., 1995) followed by R16F2n/R16R2 (Gundersen and Lee, 1996). Amplicons of ca. 1.25 kbp were obtained from 9 of 15 symptomatic but not from all symptomless and six symptomatic trees, probably due to the low titres and unevenly distribution of phytoplasma or the presence of PCR inhibitors in the latter. Nine R16F2n/R16R2 amplicons from infected samples (three from each sampled area) were directly sequenced in both directions, one of which from Firuzabad ELL (FELL) was deposited in GenBank (Accession No. KT992689). BLAST search showed that the FELL phytoplasma had 100% sequence identity with four 16SrI (Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris) group-related phytoplasmas including mulberry dwarf, aster yellows, onion yellows, sasa witches broom and epilobium phyllody phytoplasmas (AB693124, FJ824597, AP006628, AB293421, AY101386). Computer-simulated restriction analysis using iPhyClassifier revealed that the virtual RFLP pattern derived from the query 16S rDNA F2nR2 fragment of FELL is identical (similarity coefficient 1.00) to onion yellows phytoplasma (NC_005303) representative of subgroup B of the 16SrI group. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that FELL phytoplasma clustered with 16SrI- B members closer to a phytoplasma associated with Eucalyptus yellows and witches broom (AY685054). To our knowledge, this is the first report of the association of a 16SrI phytoplasma with ELL in Iran

Neurological and psychiatric disorders in psoriasis

Abstract Psoriasis used to be known as a skin disorder; however, it can now be considered as a systemic disease with the involvement of multiple organs. Neurological and psychiatric disorders are some of the associated problems that can be observed in patients with psoriasis. Stroke, multiple sclerosis, seizure, migraine, restless leg syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and myasthenia gravis are the reported neurological diseases, while depression, bipolar mood disorder, anxiety, psychosis, cognitive impairment, personality disorders, sexual disorders, sleep disturbance, and eating disorders are the recognized psychiatric presentations in patients with psoriasis. Herein, the neurological and psychiatric disorders of psoriasis are described.

Genealogy Study of Three Generations of Patients with Bipolar Mood Disorder Type I

Introduction: The purpose of this research is genealogy examination of three generation of bipolar mood disorder Type I patients. Methods: Patients selected using Poisson sampling method from 100 patients with bipolar mood disorder Type I, referring to a psychiatric center of Amir Kabir Hospital of Arak, Iran. Examine issues such as physical ailments, psychological review of living and deceased family members of each patient, drawn family pedigree using pedigree chart, check the relationship of the different pattern of the autosomal dominant and recessive disease, sex-linked dominant and recessive and linked to Y chromosome have been performed on patients. Different methods used in this study are pedigree chart and young mania rating scale and SPSS and Pearsons correlation test for analyzing the data collected. Results: Among the studied inheritance patterns, the most common inheritance pattern was autosomal recessive. There was a significant relationship between age, number of generation, and inheritance patterns with physical ailments in families of patients with bipolar mood disorder (P < 0.05), but there was no significant association with mental illness (P > 0.05). Furthermore, there was a significant relation between generation and skin, gastrointestinal, ovarian, lung, coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, Cerebrovascular accident (CVA), hyperlipidemia, cardiomyopathy, hypothyroidism, and kidney disease in patients with bipolar affective disorder Type I (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The results showed that autosomal recessive was the most pattern of inheritance and there is a significant relationship between generation and some physical disorders in patients with bipolar mood disorder Type I.

THE FIRST REPORT OF A 16SrXII-A PHYTOPLASMA ASSOCIATED WITH TOMATO BIG BUD DISEASE IN IRAN

In 2013 surveys, up to 7.5% incidence of big bud disease was observed in tomato fields of Kazerun area (Fars province, Iran). The main disease symptoms were big bud, little leaf, flower virescence, phyllody, proliferation and sterility. To investigate the phytoplasma presence, total DNAs extracted from four symptomatic and four symptomless tomato plants were tested by nested PCR using P1/P7 primer pair followed by R16F2n/R16R2 primers (Lee et al., 1998). Amplicons of ca. 1.8 and 1.2 kb, respectively were amplified in samples of symptomatic plants but not of symptomless ones. Four P1/P7 amplicons from symptomatic tomato plants were cloned and sequenced. The obtained 16S rDNA sequences showed 100% sequence identity with each other and a representative of these sequences deposited in GenBank (Accession No. KX098490). BLAST search using full length 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that Kazerun tomato big bud (KTBB) sequence showed 100% identity with a Candidatus Phytoplasma solani strain (AF248959), representative of 16SrXII-A subgroup. Computer-simulated restriction analysis using iPhyClassifier showed that the RFLP profile of KTBB 16S rDNA F2nR2 fragment was identical (similarity coefficient 1.00) to the reference pattern of 16SrXII-A (AF248959). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that KTBB phytoplasma clustered with16SrXII group phytoplasmas closest to 16SrXII-A subgroup reference strain (AF248959). To our knowledge this is the first report of a 16SrXII-A phytoplasma associated with TBB disease in Iran. 16SrXII- related phytoplasmas have been previously reported from grapevine (Salehi et al., 2014) and Cannabis sativa (Vali Sichani et al., 2011) in Iran.