• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.313-318
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• 2013

In March, 2013, twenty symptomatic freesia plants (10 plants of cultivar Shiny Lemon and 10 plants of cultivar Shiny Gold), with striking virus-like symptoms were collected in Cheongju, Korea. The plants showed chlorotic, coalescing, interveinal, whitish, necrotic, mosaic, mottling or dark brown-to-purple necrotic spots on leaves. Freesia crude sap was directly analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, which potyvirus particles as well as long virus-like particles were detected. Total RNA extracts were analyzed for the infection of Freesia sneak virus (FreSV) by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR with primers specific to FreSV coat protein (CP) gene based on the sequences of FreSV isolates (GenBank No. GU071089, FJ807730 and DQ885455), showing 9 of 20 plants were infected. All 1305bp RT-PCR products were cloned and sequenced. Comparisons of nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences using BLAST and bioinformatics tools resulted in 99 to 100% sequence identity with FreSV isolates FOV, Virginia, and Italy, confirming FreSV in 9 symptomatic freesia plants. Of 9 determined cDNAs of FreSV isolates, sequences of 5 cDNA clones were identical (GenBank No. AB811437) and sequences of 4 cDNA clones were identical (GenBank No. AB811792). To our knowledge, this is the first report of FreSV from Freesia spp. in Korea.