Phytoplasma

Phytoplasmas are bacteria that belong to the Class Mollicutes (See Figure 1 below)

Phytoplasmas:

• Are transmitted by insect vectors that feed from plant phloem sieve cells (Figure 2)
• Colonize plants and insects
• Invade multiple insect tissues
• Reside within the cytoplasm of plant phloem sieve cells (Figure 2)
• Secrete multiple effectors that unload from the phloem (Figures 2)

Phytoplasma secrete effectors that:

• Modulate plant development (Figure 3)
• Reduce plant resistance to insect vectors (Figure 3)
• Generate Zombie plants (Figure 3) Nature Microbiology Reviews 1: 393