The Plant Pathology Journal

The Korean Society of Plant Pathology (한국식물병리학회)
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Population Structure of Stagonosporopsis Species Associated with Cucurbit Gummy Stem Blight in Korea

  • Jeong, Yong-Jik (Department of Bioresources Engineering, Sejong University) ;
  • Kwon, Oh-Kyu (Department of Molecular Biology, Sejong University) ;
  • Jeong, A-Ram (Department of Molecular Biology, Sejong University) ;
  • Lee, Hyunji (Department of Bioresources Engineering, Sejong University) ;
  • Moon, Hyeran (Department of Molecular Biology, Sejong University) ;
  • Lee, O New (Department of Bioresources Engineering, Sejong University) ;
  • Hong, Jeum Kyu (Division of Horticultural Science, Gyeongsang National University) ;
  • Park, Chang-Jin (Department of Bioresources Engineering, Sejong University)
  • Received : 2022.07.26
  • Accepted : 2022.08.28
  • Published : 2022.10.01
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Abstract

Gummy stem blight (GSB), a common and serious disease in cucurbits worldwide, is caused by three genetically distinct species: Stagonosporopsis cucurbitacearum (syn. Didymella bryoniae), S. citrulli, and S. caricae. In Korea, however, the three species of Stagonosporopsis have been barely characterized. In this study, 21 Stagonosporopsis isolates were recovered from watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) and muskmelon (Cucumis melo) leaves and stem showing blight symptoms collected from 43 fields in Korea. Sequence analysis performed with an internal transcribed spacer region was not competent to differentiate the Stagonosporopsis isolates. On the contrary, analysis of β-tubulin (TUB) genes and three microsatellite markers, Db01, Db05, and Db06, successfully differentiated Stagonosporopsis isolates. Further sequence analysis identified two Stagonosporopsis species, S. citrulli and S. caricae, and one previously unknown species of Stagonosporopsis. Representative isolates from three species caused dark water-soaked lesions on the detached watermelon and muskmelon leaves with no significant differences in the aggressiveness. Our results indicate that the S. citrulli, S. caricae, and unknown Stagonosporopsis sp. are all causal agents of GSB for both watermelon and muskmelon. This is the first report of a new species and the population structure of Stagonosporopsis species causing GSB in Korea.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This study was carried out with the support of the "Cooperative Research Program for Agriculture Science & Technology Development (Project No. PJ01421303)" Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea. We thank Marin Talbot Brewer (University of Georgia, Athens, USA) for sharing the sequences of Db05 amplicons obtained from Stagonosporopsis spp.

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