HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Barbara, D. J. Articles by Davies, D. L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Barbara, D. J. Articles by Davies, D. L. Agricola Articles by Barbara, D. J. Articles by Davies, D. L.

Immunodominant membrane proteins from two phytoplasmas in the aster yellows clade (chlorante aster yellows and clover phyllody) are highly divergent in the major hydrophilic region

Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Horticulture Research International, Wellesbourne, Warwickshire CV35 9EF, UK¹
Entomology and Plant Pathology, Horticulture Research International, East Malling, West Malling, Kent ME19 6BJ, UK²

Author for correspondence: Derek J. Barbara. Tel: +44 1789 470382. Fax: +44 1789 470552. e-mail: Dez.Barbara{at}HRI.AC.UK

The mechanisms by which phytoplasmas interact with their hosts are not understood. Mollicute membrane proteins may play a role in such interactions and therefore the amp genes encoding immunodominant proteins from two phytoplasmas, aster yellows and clover phyllody, which fall within the largest taxonomic subclade of the phytoplasmas, have been cloned and characterized. The putative translation products, antigenic membrane proteins (Amps), of these genes have properties which are typical for bacterial membrane proteins, and which suggest that each has a single large extracellular hydrophilic domain held by a transmembrane region near the C-terminus, with only a short C-terminal intracellular sequence. Both of the Amps characterized here have bacterial leader sequences which are cleaved during maturation. Whilst the signal peptide and transmembrane regions of the two proteins are very similar, the major hydrophilic domains are highly divergent in both size and sequence. The Amps from the two phytoplasmas are also different in structure and sequence from the immunodominant membrane proteins of three other phytoplasmas whose genes have been cloned previously.

Keywords: serological detection in planta, host–pathogen interactions

Abbreviations: AMP, antigenic membrane protein; AP, apple proliferation; AY, aster yellows; AY-C, chlorante isolate of aster yellows; AY-PY, primula yellows isolate of aster yellows; CP, clover phyllody; E/H/T, export leader, hydrophilic and transmembrane domains, respectively, in the putative AMP; SPWB, sweet potato witches’ broom phytoplasma; WX, western X phytoplasma

The GenBank accession numbers for the sequences reported in this paper are AF244540 and AF244541 for AY-C and CP, respectively.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. T. T. Tran-Nguyen, M. Kube, B. Schneider, R. Reinhardt, and K. S. Gibb Comparative Genome Analysis of "Candidatus Phytoplasma australiense" (Subgroup tuf-Australia I; rp-A) and "Ca. Phytoplasma asteris" Strains OY-M and AY-WB J. Bacteriol., June 1, 2008; 190(11): 3979 - 3991. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Kakizawa, K. Oshima, H.-Y. Jung, S. Suzuki, H. Nishigawa, R. Arashida, S.-i. Miyata, M. Ugaki, H. Kishino, and S. Namba Positive Selection Acting on a Surface Membrane Protein of the Plant-Pathogenic Phytoplasmas J. Bacteriol., May 1, 2006; 188(9): 3424 - 3428. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				X. Bai, J. Zhang, A. Ewing, S. A. Miller, A. Jancso Radek, D. V. Shevchenko, K. Tsukerman, T. Walunas, A. Lapidus, J. W. Campbell, et al. Living with genome instability: the adaptation of phytoplasmas to diverse environments of their insect and plant hosts. J. Bacteriol., May 1, 2006; 188(10): 3682 - 3696. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Suzuki, K. Oshima, S. Kakizawa, R. Arashida, H.-Y. Jung, Y. Yamaji, H. Nishigawa, M. Ugaki, and S. Namba From the Cover: Interaction between the membrane protein of a pathogen and insect microfilament complex determines insect-vector specificity. PNAS, March 14, 2006; 103(11): 4252 - 4257. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Seemuller and B. Schneider 'Candidatus Phytoplasma mali', 'Candidatus Phytoplasma pyri' and 'Candidatus Phytoplasma prunorum', the causal agents of apple proliferation, pear decline and European stone fruit yellows, respectively Int J Syst Evol Microbiol, July 1, 2004; 54(4): 1217 - 1226. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Kakizawa, K. Oshima, H. Nishigawa, H.-Y. Jung, W. Wei, S. Suzuki, M. Tanaka, S.-i. Miyata, M. Ugaki, and S. Namba Secretion of immunodominant membrane protein from onion yellows phytoplasma through the Sec protein-translocation system in Escherichia coli Microbiology, January 1, 2004; 150(1): 135 - 142. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Melamed, E. Tanne, R. Ben-Haim, O. Edelbaum, D. Yogev, and I. Sela Identification and Characterization of Phytoplasmal Genes, Employing a Novel Method of Isolating Phytoplasmal Genomic DNA J. Bacteriol., November 15, 2003; 185(22): 6513 - 6521. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Duret, N. Berho, J.-L. Danet, M. Garnier, and J. Renaudin Spiralin Is Not Essential for Helicity, Motility, or Pathogenicity but Is Required for Efficient Transmission of Spiroplasma citri by Its Leafhopper Vector Circulifer haematoceps Appl. Envir. Microbiol., October 1, 2003; 69(10): 6225 - 6234. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Streten and K. S. Gibb Identification of genes in the tomato big bud phytoplasma and comparison to those in sweet potato little leaf-V4 phytoplasma Microbiology, July 1, 2003; 149(7): 1797 - 1805. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]