Molecular Characterization of Mitogenome of <i>Cacopsylla picta</i> and <i>Cacopsylla melanoneura</i>, Two Vector Species of ‘<i>Candidatus</i> Phytoplasma mali’

Abstract

The mitochondrial genomes of two vector psyllids of the ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma mali’, Cacopsylla picta and C. melanoneura, were sequenced using high-throughput sequencing on the Illumina platform. The main objective of the study was to describe their mitogenome and characterize their genetic variability and the potential changes in the context of the observed global warming. The four complete sequences for C. picta, 14,801 bp and 14,802 bp in length, two complete and one partial sequence for C. melanoneura, ranging from 14,879 bp to 14,881 bp in length, were obtained for the first time for these European apple psyllids. The detected intraspecies mtDNA identity was highly similar (99.85–99.98%), the identity’s similarity with other Cacopsylla species varied between 79.79 and 86.64%. The mitogenomes showed a typical mitochondrial DNA structure with 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes and 22 tRNA genes; the presence of CGGA motif in the ND1-trnS2 junction was detected in both species. Phylogenetic analysis placed both species in close relationship with C. burckhardti within the Cacopsylla clade-I O group. The analysis of complete mitogenomes and of partial COI sequences of fifty-two Cacopsylla individuals showed a high homogeneity of genotypes over 15 years and among the different localities in the Czech Republic.

Keywords

• apple pests
• high-throughput sequencing complete mitochondrial DNA
• phylogenetic analysis
• fruit tree phytoplasma