Shigeyuki Kakizawa

Diversity of Bacterial Endosymbionts Associated with Macrosteles Leafhoppers Vectoring Phytopathogenic Phytoplasmas

ABSTRACT Here, we investigate the endosymbiotic microbiota of the Macrosteles leafhoppers M. striifrons and M. sexnotatus, known as vectors of phytopathogenic phytoplasmas. PCR, cloning, sequencing, and phylogenetic analyses of bacterial 16S rRNA genes identified two obligate endosymbionts, “Candidatus Sulcia muelleri” and “Candidatus Nasuia deltocephalinicola,” and five facultative endosymbionts, Wolbachia, Rickettsia, Burkholderia, Diplorickettsia, and a novel bacterium belonging to the Rickettsiaceae, from the leafhoppers. “Ca. Sulcia muelleri” and “Ca. Nasuia deltocephalinicola” exhibited 100% infection frequencies in the host species and populations and were separately harbored within different bacteriocytes that constituted a pair of coherent bacteriomes in the abdomen of the host insects, as in other deltocephaline leafhoppers. Wolbachia, Rickettsia, Burkholderia, Diplorickettsia, and the novel Rickettsiaceae bacterium exhibited infection frequencies at 7%, 31%, 12%, 0%, and 24% in M. striifrons and at 20%, 0%, 0%, 20%, and 0% in M. sexnotatus, respectively. Although undetected in the above analyses, phytoplasma infections were detected in 16% of M. striifrons and 60% of M. sexnotatus insects by nested PCR of 16S rRNA genes. Two genetically distinct phytoplasmas, namely, “Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris,” associated with aster yellows and related plant diseases, and “Candidatus Phytoplasma oryzae,” associated with rice yellow dwarf disease, were identified from the leafhoppers. These results highlight strikingly complex endosymbiotic microbiota of the Macrosteles leafhoppers and suggest ecological interactions between the obligate endosymbionts, the facultative endosymbionts, and the phytopathogenic phytoplasmas within the same host insects, which may affect vector competence of the leafhoppers.

Cloning, expression analysis, and sequence diversity of genes encoding two different immunodominant membrane proteins in poinsettia branch‐inducing phytoplasma (PoiBI)

Poinsettia branch-inducing phytoplasma (PoiBI) is a phytopathogenic bacterium that infects poinsettia, and is associated with the free-branching morphotype (characterized by many axillary shoots and flowers) of many commercially grown poinsettias. The major membrane proteins of phytoplasmas are classified into three general types, that is, immunodominant membrane protein (Imp), immunodominant membrane protein A (IdpA), and antigenic membrane protein (Amp). These membrane proteins are often used as targets for the production of antibodies used in phytoplasma detection. Herein, we cloned and sequenced the imp and idpA genes of PoiBI strains from 26 commercial poinsettia cultivars. Although the amino acid sequences of the encoded IdpA proteins were invariant, those of the encoded Imp varied among the PoiBI isolates, with no synonymous nucleotide substitution. Western blotting and immunohistochemical analyses revealed that the amount of Imp expressed exceeded that of IdpA, in contrast to the case of a related phytoplasma-disease, western X-disease, for which the major membrane protein appears to be IdpA, not Imp. These results suggest that even phylogenetically close phytoplasmas express different types of major membrane proteins.

Draft Genome Sequence of “Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris” Strain OY-V, an Unculturable Plant-Pathogenic Bacterium

ABSTRACT Phytoplasmas are unculturable plant-pathogenic bacteria causing devastating damage to agricultural production worldwide. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of “Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris” strain OY-V. Most of the known virulence factors and host-interacting proteins were conserved in OY-V. This genome furthers our understanding of genetic diversity and pathogenicity of phytoplasmas.