Aster yellows
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Aster yellows is a disease caused by a phytoplasma (Aster Yellows Phytoplasma)[1] affecting several genera of herbaceous plants, primarily in the Aster family. It can cause phyllody, yellowing, stunting, loss of pigmentation in or sterility of flowers, and necrosis. Its economic burden is primarily felt in the nursery industry.
Aster Yellows Phytoplasma (AYP) is phloem-limited in the plant host and is vectored by the aster leafhopper (Macrosteles quadrilineatus), a phloem-feeding insect of the order Hemiptera. Currently AYP cannot be cultured in cell-free media, making detailed study somewhat more challenging. Interestingly, AYP has the ability to increase the fecundity and lifespan of their insect vector, thus enchancing the ability of the host to transfer AYP from plant to plant. [2]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Bai et al. Living with genome instability: the adaptation of phytoplasmas to diverse environments of their insect and plant hosts. J. Bacteriol. 2006 May;188(10):3682-96.
- ^ Beanland, L., C. W. Hoy, S. A. Miller, and L. R. Nault. 2000. Influence of aster yellows phytoplasma on the fitness of aster leafhopper (Homoptera: Cicadellidae). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 93:271-276.
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