• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.101 no.4
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• pp.635-639
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• 2012

The present study was initiated to find out the insect vector of mulberry dwarf phytoplasma. Among the collected insects from mulberry cultivation region, the sucking insects (Hishimonas sellatus, Bothrogonia japonica and Balclutha punctata) were selected for transmission of mulberry dwarf phytoplasma. Sucking insects, H. sellatus and B. punctata successfully transmitted phytoplasma to healthy seedling mulberry and periwinkle plants by inoculation-feeding. Typical dwarf symptom was observed in mulberry tree, but very slender twigs on stem and formatted small leaves were found on periwinkle plants, which are typical witches' broom symptoms. The phytoplasmas were detected in all samples exception sucking insects B. japonica using phytoplasma universal primer pair R16F2n/R2.

• Plant Resources
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.173-178
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• 2000

This test checked jujube witches'-broom disease, sumac witches'-broom disease, paulonia witches'- broom disease, and mulberry dwarf disease whether or not they were infected by phytoplasma, using universal and specific primers. Upon treatment of DNA amplified by PCR of phytoplasma with Alu I , Hpa II and Sat I restricted enzymes, distinction of phytoplasmas was possible. Particularly, phytoplasma of each host was distinguishable by treatment of Hpa II restricted enzyme. Meanwhile, analysis of restricted enzymes of jujube witches'-broom disease showed a higher infectivity of phytoplasmas of two origins. There were a lot of relations between jujube witches'-broom disease and sumac witches'-broom disease, and between paulonia witches'-broom disease and mulberry dwarf disease.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.106-108
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• 2007

The Symptoms of witches' broom disease caused by phytoplasma including general stunting and yellowing, were observed in leafy lespedeza (Lespedeza cyrtobotrya M.) on Doam-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, in 2006. Based on the sequence analysis of PCR-amplified 16S ribosomal DNA and 16S-23S spacer region DNA products using universal phytoplasma primers, the phytoplasma associated with leafy lespedeza witches' broom (LLWB) disease was identified as a member of Candidatus Pytoplasma trifolii. It was most closely related to alsike clover proliferation phytoplasma (99.8% similarity, accession no. AY390261), Candidatus Pytoplasma trifolii strain. RFLP patterns generated with AluI, HpaII clearly differentiated LLWB phytoplasma from the referenced phytoplasma strains, water dropwort witches' broom, mulberry dwarf, glehni aster yellow dwarf and jujube witches' broom. This paper is the first report on Candidatus Phytoplasma trifolii in leafy lespedeza identified at a molecular level.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.100 no.4
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• pp.623-629
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• 2011

The detectable levels and population fluctuations of phytoplasmas infecting dwarf mulberry trees were investigated using nested-PCR and competitive-PCR methods. Samples of five different types were studied : A. petiole of a leaf that displays dwarf symptoms, B. petiole from apparently healthy leaf residing on a branch also supports a leaf with dwarf symptoms, C. the branch portion that supports a leaf with dwarf symptoms, D. the leaf petiole from healthy appearing leaves on branch with no dwarf symptoms, and branch portion of branch with no dwarf symptoms, E. the rootlets of trees with dwarf symptoms. These 5-parts were collected from each tree during June - April, once in every two months. The phytoplasma was detected from all parts of collected mulberry samples during all seasons using nested-PCR with AS-1/AS-2 primer pairs. The phytoplasma was detected until $10^4$ dilution using direct-PCR method, but it was detected until $10^{13}$ dilution by the nested-PCR method. The density of pytoplasma was found to be $7.94{\times}10^{18}-10^{12}copies/{\mu}L$ in mulberry trees. The density of phytoplasma was observed throughout the year in all samples of mulberry trees. The highest rates of phytoplasma was found in the samples B and C during the early growing season followed by the sample A and D during the dormant season. Samples C and E displayed the highest phytoplasma density followed sample D. The density of phytoplasma appeared stable during all the seasons for samples C and A. The result of the present study demonstrates the utility of nested-PCR and competitive-PCR for detection and determination of population fluctuations of phytoplasmas in plant tissues.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.98-101
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• 2002

Using phytoplasma universal primer pair Pl and P7, a fragment of about 1.8 kb nucleotide sequences of 16S rRNA gene and 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region, and a portion of 23S rRNA gene of jujube witches'broom (JWB) and mulberry dwarf(MD) phytoplasmas were determined. The nucleotide sequences of JWB and MD were 1,850 bp and 1,831 bp long, respectively. The JWB phytoplasma sequence was aligned with the homologous sequence of MD phytoplasma. Twenty-eight base insertions and nine base deletions were found in the JWB phytoplasma sequence compared with that of MD phytoplasma. The similarity of the aligned sequences of JWB and MD was 84.8%. The near-complete 16S rRNA gene DNA sequences of JWB and MD were 1,529 bp and 1,530 bp in length, respectively, and revealed 89.0% homology. The 16S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer region DNA sequences were 263 bp and 243 bp in lengths respectively, while homology was only 70% and the conserved tRNA-lle gene of JWB and MD was located into the intergenic space region between 16S-23S rRNA gene. The nucleotide sequences were 77 bp long in both JWB and MD, and showed 97.4% sequence homology. Based on the phylogenetic analysis of the two phytoplasmas, the JWB phytoplasma belongs to the Elm yellow phytoplasma group (16S rV), whereas, the MD phytoplasma belongs to the Aster yellow group (16S rI).

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.73.2-73
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• 2003

Typical whiches broom symptoms caused by phytoplasma were observed in Ash (Fraxinus rhynchophylla Hence) in Korea. The symptoms were showing abnormally small leaves, short internodes, and proliferation of shoots. Fluorescence and electron microscopy of leaf midribs revealed phytoplasma positive DAPI fluorescence and numerous phytoplasma bodies localized in the phloem sieve tubes. Phytoplasma DNA of 1.8 Kb was detected consistently from all symptomatic samples by the amplification of phytoplasma DNA with the phytoplasma specific primer pair Pl/P7. But no phytoplasma DNA was detected in healthy ash seedlings. Based on sequence analyses of an amplified region, this phytoplasma is closely related to Eqilodium phyllody, Mulberry dwarf, and Aster yellows phytoplasmas with the homology of 99.95 ％, 99.79 ％ and 99.78 ％, respectively, This phylogenetic analyses indicate that ash witches broom phytoplasma but is evidently distinct from the ash yellows group 16SrⅦ and should be classified into the Aster yellows group 16SrⅥ.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.94 no.2 s.159
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• pp.103-107
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• 2005

Typical phytoplasma whiches' broom symptoms were observed in Ash (Fraxinus rhynchophylla Hence) in Korea. The symptoms of the disease were showing abnormally small leaves, shorted internodes and proliferation of shoots. Examination of fluorescent and electron microscopy of leaf midribs revealed numerous phytoplasma bodies localized in the phloem tube cells. The phytoplasmas were detected in all the symptomatic samples by the amplification with phytoplasma specific primer pair P1/P7 consistently, and the expected size was 1.8 kb. However, the phytoplasma DNA was not detected in healthy seedlings. Based on sequence analysis of amplified region, this phytoplasma has close homologies with eqilodium phyllody, mulberry dwarf, and aster yellow phytoplasmas, 99.95%, 99.79% and 99.78%, respectively, This phylogetic analysis indicates that ash witches' broom phytoplasma should be classified in the aster yellow group 16SrVI and clearly distinct from the ash yellow group 16SrVII.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.55-58
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• 2005

In order to diagnose and differentiate jujube witches' broom (JWB) phytoplasma rapidly, oligonucleotide primer pair, 16Sr(V) F/R, for polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) was designed on the basis of 16S rRNA sequences of JWB phytoplasma. The PCR employing phytoplasma universal primer pair P1/P7 consistently amplified DNA in all tested phytoplasma isolates. But no phytoplasma DNA was detected from healthy jujube seedlings. The nested PCR, the primer pair 16S(V) F/R, about 460 bp fragment, amplified DNA in all tested JWB and related phytoplasmas including ligustrum witches' broom phytoplasma of the 16S rRNA group V, but no DNA amplification was detected from other phytoplasma strains such as groups 16SrI (Aster yellows) and 16SrXII (Stolbur group) in which mulberry dwarf phytoplasma and chrysanthemum witches' broom phytoplasma belong to, respectively. The same results were obtained from both Korean and Chinese isolates of JWB phytoplasma. Nested-PCR using phytoplasma universal primer pair P1/P7 and 16SrV group-specific primer pair 16S(V) F/R could detect group V phytoplasmas rapidly and easily, in particular JWB phytoplasma.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.136.2-137
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• 2003

In order to diagnose and differentiate jujube witches' broom (JWB) phytoplasma rapidly, oligonucleotide primer pair, 16Sr(V) F/R, for polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) was designed on the basis of 165 rRNA sequences of JWB phytoplasma. The PCR employing phytoplasma universal primer pair P1/P7 consistently amplified DNA in all tested phytoplasma isolates. But no phytoplasma DNA was detected in healthy jujube seedlings. The nested PCR, the primer pair 16S(V) F/R, about 460 bp fragment, amplified DNA in all tested JWB and related phytoplasmas including LiWB phytoplasma of the 165 rRNA group V, but no DNA amplification was detected from other phytoplasma strains such as group 16SrI (Aster yellows) and group 16SrⅩII (Stolbur group) phytoplasmas in which mulberry dwarf phytoplasma and chrysanthemum witches broom phytoplasma are belonged to, respectively The same results were obtained from both Korean- and Chinese-isolates of JWB. Nested-PCR using phytoplasma universal primer pair P1/P7 and 16S rRNA group V specific primer pair 16S(V) F/R could detect group V phytoplasma rapidly and easily, in particular JWB phytoplasma.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.239-247
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• 2012

Phytoplasmas have been associated with more than 46 plant species in Korea. Several vegetables, ornamentals, fruit trees and other crop species are affected by phytoplasma diseases. Six 16Sr groups of phytoplasmas have been identified and these phytoplasmas are associated with 63 phytoplasma diseases. Aster yellows phytoplasmas are the most prevalent group and has been associated with more than 25 diseases in Korea. Jujube witches' broom, paulownia witches' broom and mulberry dwarf diseases cause economic losses to host trees throughout the country. So far, Korean phytoplasmas belong to six species of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma'; 'Ca. P. asteris', 'Ca. P. pruni$^*$', 'Ca. P. ziziphi', 'Ca. P. trifolii', 'Ca. P. solani$^*$' and 'Ca. P. castaneae'. The diseases are distributed throughout the country and most of them were observed in Gyeongbuk and Chonbuk provinces. At least four insect vectors; Cyrtopeltis tenuis, Hishimonus sellatus, Macrosteles striifrons and Ophiola flavopicta have been identified for phytoplasma transmission.