Identification and molecular characterization of 16 Sr V group phytoplasmas with flowering cherry in China.

Flowering cherry ( Prunus serrulata) trees showing symptoms of excessive axillary growth, stunting, short internodes and decline were observed in Yantai City, Shandong province, China. The samples with the flowering cherry decline were designated as Fc D- YT phytoplasma. Sequencing results, restriction fragment length polymorphism ( RFLP) and phylogenetic analysis of sequences from the 1248-bp R16 F2n⁄ R16 R2 products and partial ribosomal protein operon genes revealed the Fc D- YT phytoplasma as a member of subgroup 16 Sr V- B, rp V- C. Two RFLP patterns were observed in recombinant colonies from the cloned 16 S r DNA gene with endonucleases Hpa II and Mse I. To our knowledge, this is the first report of 16 Sr V group phytoplasma declining flowering cherry trees in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]