Browsing by Author "Y. Hanboonsong"

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    Transovarial transmission of sugarcane white leaf phytoplasma in the insect vector Matsumuratettix hiroglyphicus (Matsumura)
    (2002-03-09) Y. Hanboonsong; C. Choosai; S. Panyim; S. Damak; Khon Kaen University; The Institute of Science and Technology for Research and Development, Mahidol University; New York University
    White leaf is a serious disease of sugarcane caused by phytoplasma. The disease is transmitted to the plant by the leafhopper Matsumuratettix hiroglyphicus (Matsumura). The reservoir of phytoplasma was suspected to be weeds that grow in sugarcane farming areas because they can be infected with phytoplasma and show symptoms similar to sugarcane white leaf. However in previous work we have demonstrated by RFLP and sequencing that this is not the case. Here we have reared M. hiroglyphicus through two generations by feeding them phytoplasma free sugarcane grown from tissue culture. By nested-PCR followed by sequencing, we demonstrated the presence of the phytoplasma in eggs, nymphs and adults of the first and second generations thereby showing transovarial transmission. We have also shown by in situ PCR that phytoplasmas were widely distributed throughout the body of the insect. RFLP and sequencing showed that the same phytoplasma was present in the vector and in the plant. Together, these data point to the leafhopper M. hiroglyphicus as the reservoir of phytoplasma that cause sugarcane white leaf disease.