• Korean Journal Plant Pathology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.382-385
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• 1998

Molecular identification and genetic relationships between a phytoplasma associated with chestnut little leaf (CLL) and phytoplasma isolates of other trees in Korea were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). These 16S rDNA sequences amplified from the various phytoplasmas were used in DNA heteroduplex mobility assays (HMA). In DNA HMA combined with PCR, the mobility shift was observed for a heteroduoplex formed in combined with CLL and jujube witches broom, but not for those formed in combined with CLL and each of sumac witches broom, paulownia witches broom, and mulberry dwarf. HMA combined with PCR has been shown to be a very useful method for detection and differentiation of phytoplasmas.

• 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.18 no.6
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• pp.308-312
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• 2002

Heteroduplex mobility assay (HMA) and single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analyses combined with PCR were developed for genetic differentiation of various phytoplasma isolates. In the HMA and SSCP analyses, differences in the mobility shifts and the SSCP band patterns identified three distinct types of phyto-plasmas: Type Ⅰ, jujube witches'-broom (JWB) and ligustrum witches'-broom (LiWB); Type Ⅱ, mulberry dwarf（MD) and sumac witches'-broom (SuWB); and Type Ⅲ, paulownia witches'-broom (PaWB). Results of the sequence analyses revealed that phytoplasmas of JWB and MD had 100％ homology with LiWB and SuWB, respectively. On the other hand, PaWB phyto-plasma had 97.8% homology with MD phytoplasma. The PCR-HMA and SSCP techniques were very useful in determining variations in sequence among several isolates of phytoplasmas. Furthermore, the methods were rapid, economical, highly sensitive, and easy to handle with the gels.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.189-193
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• 2001

The relationships between the phytoplasmas infecting Zizyphus jujuba and Paulownia coreana were investigated by PCR-RELP. The 16S rRNA genes of the phytoplasmas were analyzed and compared with each other after PCR amplification. The amplified bands 1.4 kb in size were analyzed by both restriction digestion and sequencing after cloning into a plasmid vector. In some cases, two different kinds of inserts were observed in the isolates that originated from a single plant. However, many of them appeared to be the amplification products of chloroplastic 16S rRNA gene of host plants. The phytoplasma gene could be differentiated from the chloroplastic gene by restriction digestion of the plasmids carrying the amplification products. Only the recombinant plasmids carrying phytoplasma 16S rRNA gene produced a 1.4 kb band when digested with the enzyme BanII. Of the 52 recombinant plasmids analyzed, 42 appeared to contain inserts that originated from the chloroplastic 16S rRNA gene of the host plants. No variation was detected among 16S rRNA gene of nine phytoplasma isolates infecting Z. jujuba. However, the phytoplasmas infecting Z. jujuba were different from that infecting P. coreana.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.1047-1054
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• 2013

Witches' broom of lime is a disease caused by Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia, which represents the most significant global threat to the production of lime trees (Citrus aurantifolia). Conventional disease management strategies have shown little success, and new approaches based on genetic engineering need to be considered. The expression of recombinant antibodies and fragments thereof in plant cells is a powerful approach that can be used to suppress plant pathogens. We have developed a single-chain variable fragment antibody (scFvIMP6) against the immunodominant membrane protein (IMP) of witches' broom phytoplasma and expressed it in different plant cell compartments. We isolated scFvIMP6 from a naïve scFv phage display library and expressed it in bacteria to demonstrate its binding activity against both recombinant IMP and intact phytoplasma cells. The expression of scFvIMP6 in plants was evaluated by transferring the scFvIMP6 cDNA to plant expression vectors featuring constitutive or phloem specific promoters in cassettes with or without secretion signals, therefore causing the protein to accumulate either in the cytosol or apoplast. All constructs were transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana by agroinfiltration, and antibodies of the anticipated size were detected by immunoblotting. Plant-derived scFvIMP6 was purified by affinity chromatography, and specific binding to recombinant IMP was demonstrated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Our results indicate that scFvIMP6 binds with high activity and can be used for the detection of Ca. Phytoplasma aurantifolia and is also a suitable candidate for stable expression in lime trees to suppress witches' broom of lime.

• 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.3
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• pp.109-114
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• 2002

To evaluate the phylogenetic and taxonomic status of the phytoplasmas associated with water dropwort (Oenanthe javanica DC) disease in Korea and Japan, their 16S rDNA was analyzed. DNAs extracted from water dropworts collected in Korea (Kyongnam province) and Japan (Chiba prefecture) affected by witches' broom and yellows were subjected to PCR using phytoplasma-specific primers, which amplified a 1.4-kbp fragment that included the 16S rDNA. Phytoplasmas were characterized by RFLP analysis using AluI, HaeIII, HhaI, KpnI, MseI, and RsaI restriction enzymes and by sequence analysis of the PCR products. The mater dropwort witches'broom (WDWB) and water dropwort yellows (WDY) 16S rDNA sequences were identical and closely related to onion yellows (OY, 99.9% identity), which belong to the aster yellows (AY) 16S-subgroup. However, the KpnI RFLP analyses clearly distinguished the WDY and WDWB phytoplasmas from the OY phytoplasma. The phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rDNA showed that WDWE and WDY phytoplasmas are members of a relatively homogeneous group that evolved from a common ancestor.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.265-271
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• 2011

Seven phytoplasma diseases have been occurred on floricultural crops in Korea : Ph-ch1 and Ph-ch2 of chrysanthemum, Ph-lily of lily, petunia flat stem-Korean (PFS-K) of petunia, poinsettia branch inducing- Korean (PoiBI-K) of poinsettia, statis witches' broom-Korean (SWB-K) of statis and azalea witches broom (AWB). Classification of the seven phytoplasmal diseases based on 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequences showed that floricultural crop phytoplasma disease were widespread in order of aster yellow (AY), stolbur and X-disease in Korea. In phenotypic characters, the fasciation was occurred in both monocotyledon plant of lily and dicotyledon plants of petunia and poinsettia. Besides, the fascination was occurred in Ph-lily of stolbur, petunia PFS-K of AY and PoiBI-K of X-disease. This result indicated that phytoplasma classification based on 16S rRNA and symptoms are not consistently related. The comparison of 16S rRNA sequence of the seven floricultural crop phytoplasma with five tree phytoplasmal diseases of jujube witches' broom, paulownia witches' broom, wild jujube witches' broom, mulberry dwarf, golden rain phytoplasma occurred in Korea showed as high as 88.5-99.9% homology. Among them, especially mulberry dwarf showed the highest homology with the seven floricultural crop phytoplasms. Based on this result, floricultural crop phytoplasmas were assumed to be transmitted by insect vectors from tree phytoplasmas in Korea.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Pathology Conference
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• 1999.10a
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• pp.71.2-71
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• 1999

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.694-701
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• 2017

Mycoplasma genitalium represents the smallest genome among mono-cultivable prokaryotes. To discover and compare the orthologs (conservative genes) among M. genitalium and 14 prokaryotes that are uncultivable and have less orthologs than M. genitalium, COG (clusters of orthologous groups of protein) analyses were applied. The analyzed prokaryotes were M. genitalium, one hyperthermophilic exosymbiotic archaeon Nanoarchaeum equitans, four intracellular plant pathogenic eubacteria of Candidatus Phytoplasma genus, and nine endosymbiotic eubacteria of phloem- and xylem-feeding insects. Among 367 orthologs of M. genitalium, 284 orthologs were conservative between M. genitalium and at least one other prokaryote. All 15 prokaryotes commonly have 29 orthologs, representing the significance of proteins in life. They belong to 25 translation-related, including 22 ribosomal proteins, 3 subunits of RNA polymerase, and 1 protein-folding-related. Among the 15 prokaryotes, 40 orthologs were only found in all four Candidatus Phytoplasma. The other nine Candidatus, all endosymbionts with insects, showed only a single common COG0539 (ribosomal protein S1), representing the diversity of orthologs among them. These results might provide clues to understand conservative genes in uncultivable prokaryotes, and may be helpful in industrial areas, such as handling prokaryotes producing amino acids and antibiotics, and as precursors of organic synthesis.