VIEW ARTICLE

Molecular Plant Pathology

Cluster-Specific Polymerase Chain Reaction Amplification of 16S rDNA Sequences for Detection and Identification of Mycoplasmalike Organisms. R. E. Davis, Molecular Plant Pathology Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705; I.-M. Lee, Molecular Plant Pathology Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705. Phytopathology 83:1008-1011. Accepted for publication 31 May 1993. This article is in the public domain and not copyrightable. It may be freely reprinted with customary crediting of the source. The American Phytopathological Society, 1993. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-83-1008.

Oligonucleotide primers were designed for polymerase chain reaction amplification of 16S rDNA from mycoplasmalike organisms (MLOs) that belong to the aster yellows (AY) MLO strain cluster. Primer pairs designated F0R1, F1R1, F2R1, and F4R1 primed the amplifications of DNA sequences of approximately 1,440, 1,320, 1,300, and 660 bp, respectively, when templates consisted of DNAs extracted from plants infected by MLOs known to be members of the AY cluster. No amplifications were observed when templates consisted of DNA extracted from healthy plants or from plants infected by non-AY MLO cluster strains. The polymerase chain reaction primer pairs enable detection of MLOs associated with several different plant diseases and permit rapid and specific identification of their affiliations with AY MLO.