• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.193-206
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• 2022

Astringent persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) is an important fruit crop in Korea; it possesses significant medicinal potential. However, knowledge regarding the pathogens affecting this crop, particularly, viruses and viroids, is limited. In the present study, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and high-throughput transcriptome sequencing (HTS) were used to investigate the viruses and viroids infecting astringent persimmons cultivated in Korea. A one-step multiplex RT-PCR (mRT-PCR) method for the simultaneous detection of the pathogens was developed by designing species-specific primers and selecting the primer pairs via combination and detection limit testing. Seven of the sixteen cultivars tested were found to be infection-free. The RT-PCR and HTS analyses identified two viruses and one viroid in the infected samples (n = 51/100 samples collected from 16 cultivars). The incidence of single infections (n = 39/51) was higher than that of mixed infections (n = 12/51); the infection rate of the Persimmon cryptic virus was the highest (n = 31/39). Comparison of the monoplex and mRT-PCR results using randomly selected samples confirmed the efficiency of mRT-PCR for the identification of pathogens. Collectively, the present study provides useful resources for developing disease-free seedlings; further, the developed mRT-PCR method can be extended to investigate pathogens in other woody plants.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.226-228
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• 2008

The Rice black-streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV) infected 99-100% of a $1000\;m^2$-maize field in Mungyeong City in 2007. Adjacent to the area is a Persimmon orchard where barley crops were grown under the trees as green manure crops and for soil amendments. The barley acted as winter host to the small brown plant hoppers (SBPH) enabling the insects to survive and pass the winter season. The existence of RBSDV was detected and confirmed by RT-PCR using S9 specific primer. Samples of the insect vector SBPH were collected in the area on May 3, June 7 and, August 4 and the results of the RT-PCR analysis revealed viruliferous insect rates of 2.9, 4.8, and 4.4%, respectively. These observed viruliferous insect rates were similar with those detected in RBSDV infected rice fields.