Detection and Identification of Phytoplasmas from the Apple Proliferation Group on Fruit Crops

Phytoplasmas from the apple proliferation (AP) group collected and isolated from the territory of the Russian Federation and some European countries have been studied, including their detection and identification. Analysis of 67 samples of fruit crops by nested PCR using universal primers for 16–23S ribosomal RNA regions has shown the presence of the AP group phytoplasmas in some samples. Candidatus Phytoplasma mali, a causal agent of the apple proliferation disease, has been revealed in samples from Spain; Ca. Phytoplasma pyri (pear decline disease) was found in samples from Italy, Spain, and the Republic of Dagestan; and Ca. Phytoplasma prunorum (European stone fruit yellows disease) was found in samples from the Czech Republic. Data on the DNA sequencing of the identified pathogens have been deposited into the database of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).