Detection and Identification of a 16 Sr II Group Phytoplasma Causing Clover Little Leaf Disease in Iran.

White clover plants showing little leaf and leaf reddening symptoms were observed in Isfahan Province in central Iran. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses of nested PCR-amplified fragments from Iranian clover little leaf phytoplasma isolates and representative phytoplasmas from other phytoplasma groups using Alu I, Cfo I, Kpn I and Rsa I restriction enzymes indicated that the clover phytoplasma isolates are related to the peanut WB group. Sequence analyses of partial 16 S r RNA fragments showed that Iranian clover little leaf phytoplasma has 99% similarity with soybean witches'-broom phytoplasma, a member of the peanut WB (16 Sr II) phytoplasma group. This is the first report of clover infection with a phytoplasma related to the 16 Sr II group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]