Chrysanthemum stunt viroid in Dendranthema grandiflorum

Chrysanthemum stunt viroid (CSVd) ws identified in chrysanthemum cv. Chunkwang showing symptoms of stunt with leaf distortion (K1) and stunt with chlorosis of leaves (K2) collected from the main cultivation area of Masan, Kyongnam province in Korea. The specific RNAs related with the diseased chrysanthemums were detected. Full-length 354 bp CSVd cDNAs were amplified from infected tissue by reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction using a pair of primers specific for CSVd sequence. The amplified cDNA products were analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis and the specific cDNAs were cloned. Nucleotide sequences of the two CSVd isolates K1 and K2 varied. Phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequences of CSVd isolates indicated that K1 was closely related with J2 and Am 2 isolates. K1 and K2 were transmitted by grafting to Dendranthema grandiflorum cv. Mistletoe, Gynura aurantiaca, and Lycopersicon esculentum cv. Rutgers. This is the first report of CSVd in D. grandiflorum in Korea.