RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Tanno, Kazuyuki A1 Maejima, Kensaku A1 Miyazaki, Akio A1 Koinuma, Hiroaki A1 Iwabuchi, Nozomu A1 Kitazawa, Yugo A1 Nijo, Takamichi A1 Hashimoto, Masayoshi A1 Yamaji, Yasuyuki A1 Namba, ShigetouYR 2018 T1 Comprehensive screening of antimicrobials to control phytoplasma diseases using an in vitro plant–phytoplasma co-culture system JF Microbiology, VO 164 IS 8 SP 1048 OP 1058 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/mic.0.000681 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1465-2080, AB Phytoplasmas are plant-pathogenic bacteria that infect many important crops and cause serious economic losses worldwide. However, owing to an inability to culture phytoplasmas, screening of antimicrobials on media is difficult. The only antimicrobials being used to control phytoplasmas are tetracycline-class antibiotics. In this study, we developed an accurate and efficient screening method to evaluate the effects of antimicrobials using an in vitro plant–phytoplasma co-culture system. We tested 40 antimicrobials, in addition to tetracycline, and four of these (doxycycline, chloramphenicol, thiamphenicol and rifampicin) decreased the accumulation of ‘Candidatus (Ca.) Phytoplasma asteris'. The phytoplasma was eliminated from infected plants by the application of both tetracycline and rifampicin. We also compared nucleotide sequences of rRNAs and amino acid sequences of proteins targeted by antimicrobials between phytoplasmas and other bacteria. Since antimicrobial target sequences were conserved among various phytoplasma species, the antimicrobials that decreased accumulation of ‘Ca. P. asteris' may also have been effective against other phytoplasma species. These approaches will provide new strategies for phytoplasma disease management., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/mic.0.000681