Universal Amplification and Analysis of Pathogen 16S rDNA for Classification and Identification of Mycoplasmalike Organisms

Regions representing about 80% of the 16S rDNA sequences of 40 mycoplasmalike organism (MLO) strains from North America, Asia, and Europe were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using a primer pair designed on the basis of an MLO 16S rRNA gene. This primer pair detected every MLO examined from infected periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) and some other plants. No PCR products were obtained in samples containing DNA extracted from healthy plants. The partial 16S rDNA sequences amplified from these various MLOs were compared through restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analyses [...]