Phytoplasmas and Phytoplasma Diseases
A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Microbe Interactions".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 260
Special Issue Editors
Interests: phytoplasmas; phytoplasma diseases; phytoplasma epidemiology; taxonomy and phylogeny
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: bacteria; phytoplasmas; plant diseases; detection; epidemiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Phytoplasmas are obligate, plant-pathogenic microorganisms of the class Mollicutes associated with diseases of more than a thousand plant species worldwide. In diseased plants, phytoplasmas colonize the phloem sieve tube elements and are transmitted from plant to plant by phloem-feeding homopteran insects, mainly leafhoppers and planthoppers, and less frequently psyllids. Phytoplasmas are associated to a wide range of symptoms that are either specific or largely non-specific. The latter are most often common in woody plants.
Phytoplasma diseases are widespread and of considerable economic and ecological significance. These diseases differ in their geographic distribution, number and size of the various ribosomal groups and subgroups of the associated ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma’ species, and insect vector relationships. In several instances, phytoplasma diseases escape observation because affected plants show non-specific symptoms such as yellowing, stunting and/or decline. Also, the phytoplasma titer in diseased plants, especially in those with non-specific symptoms, is often so low that infections can only be detected through highly sensitive molecular assays. Latent phytoplasma infections, which are common in woody plants, can serve as inoculum reservoirs for further spread the bacteria to susceptible plants.
This Special Issue covers several aspects of phytoplasmas and their associated diseases including (i) detection, identification, (ii) phytoplasma-plant host interactions, (iii) phytoplasma-insect vector relationships, (iv) phytoplasma titer and colonization behavior in affected plants, and (vi) disease management and control.
Dr. Carmine Marcone
Dr. Assunta Bertaccini
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- yellows and decline diseases
- ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma’ species
- 16Sr group/subgroups
- Phytoplasma taxonomy
- symptomatology
- epidemiology
- fruit trees
- forest trees
- shrubs
- herbaceous crops
- flower crops
- weeds
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