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An Antibody Against the SecA Membrane Protein of One Phytoplasma Reacts with Those of Phylogenetically Different Phytoplasmas

First, ninth, tenth, and eleventh authors: Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan; second, third, fourth, and sixth to eleventh authors: Laboratory of Bioresource Technology, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 202-Bioscience Building, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan; and fifth author: Department of Plant Protection, National Agriculture Research Center, Tsukuba 305-8666, Japan

Antisera raised against phloem-limited phytoplasmas generally react only with the phytoplasma strain used to produce the antigen. There is a need for an antiserum that reacts with a variety of phytoplasmas. Here, we show that an antiserum raised against the SecA membrane protein of onion yellows phytoplasma, which belongs to the aster yellows 16S-group, detected eight phytoplasma strains from four distinct 16S-groups (aster yellows, western X, rice yellow dwarf, and elm yellows). In immunoblots,≈96-kDa SecA protein was detected in plants infected with each of the eight phytoplasmas. Immunohistochemical staining of thin sections prepared from infected plants was localized in phloem tissues. This antiserum should be useful in the detection and histopathological analysis of a wide range of phytoplasmas.