Clarithromycin Suppresses Apple Proliferation Phytoplasma in Explant Cultures

Semerák, Matěj and Sedlák, Jiří and Čmejla, Radek (2023) Clarithromycin Suppresses Apple Proliferation Phytoplasma in Explant Cultures. Plants, 12 (22). p. 3820. ISSN 2223-7747

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Abstract

Apple proliferation, caused by ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma mali’, is one of the most important economic threats in the field of apple production. Especially at a young age, infected trees can be affected by excessive bud proliferation and general decline. The fruit quality is also significantly reduced by this disease. To investigate treatment options, we applied a clarithromycin chemotherapy to infected in vitro cultures of ‘Golden Delicious’. With increasing concentrations of clarithromycin in the media, the phytoplasma load decreased rapidly after one month of treatment, but phytotoxicity led to a pronounced mortality at 40 mg/L, which was the highest dose used in our experiment. Out of 45 initial explants, we obtained one negative mericlone and two mericlones with a concentration of phytoplasma DNA at the detection limit of PCR. The culture propagated from the mericlone that tested negative remained phytoplasma-free after 18 months of subculturing. Our results suggest the applicability of macrolide antibiotics against phytoplasma infections in vitro; however, it might be challenging to find the threshold zone where the concentration is sufficient for pathogen elimination, but not lethal for the plant material of different cultivars.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: GO for STM > Medical Science
Depositing User: Unnamed user with email support@goforstm.com
Date Deposited: 11 Nov 2023 04:26
Last Modified: 11 Nov 2023 04:26
URI: http://archive.article4submit.com/id/eprint/2204

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