• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.312-316
• /
• 2015

Rhizina undulata, the causal agent of Rhizina root rot, is a soil-borne fungus occurring on coniferous trees. The destruction of coastal forests caused by R. undulata infection has been mainly associated with bonfires at camping sites. However, Rhizina root rot was observed in the western coastal forests without fire. It was hypothesized that Rhizina root rot in this area might be closely related to the soil salinity, which can facilitate the growth and survival of R. undulata. So, the variation in sodium chloride (NaCl) resistance among isolates of Rhizina undulata was compared using liquid media containing different concentrations of NaCl ranging from 0 mM to 300 mM. Our results showed that, albeit of no growth at a higher concentration of NaCl (300 mM), most of R. undulata isolates were capable of germinating and grew at up to 100 mM, indicating that NaCl resistance varies among R. undulata isolates. It was further found that isolates from coastal areas seemed to be more tolerant to NaCl than those further away the coast. We demonstrated that R. undulata could be possible to survive in coastal areas, but was lower NaCl tolerance than other fungi.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.96 no.5
• /
• pp.585-590
• /
• 2007

Rhizina undulata is the fungus, which causes Rhizina root rot on coniferous trees. Nested-PCR using ITS-specific primer was applied to detect R. undulata from the soils of Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergil) forests infested with the disease in Seocheon, Chungnam Province, South Korea. Soil samples were collected from four different sites, both dead trees and fruit bodies of R. undulata were present, dead trees only present, fruit bodies only present, and both were absent. Nested-PCR products specific to R. undulata ITS-region were amplified. Positive reactions were found in some samples from the sites, where dead trees and fruit bodies of R. undulata were absent as well as where both of those were present. R. undulata was mainly detected in the soil samples from the depth of 5~20 cm under the soil surface. These results show that the nested-PCR could be used to diagnose the presence or potential infestation of R. undulata in the soils of pine forests.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.79 no.3
• /
• pp.322-329
• /
• 1990

A group of Pinus densiflora trees attacked by Rhizina root rot were observed at Kangnung. Diseased roots are characterized by rot patches, radial rot traces or formation of adhesive soil masses. The damage has proceeded about 6m per annum, and the pathogen in the infected soil was detected by trap logs. Ascospores of Rhizina undulata was germinated by heat shock at $37^{\circ}C$ for 24 hours or at $40^{\circ}C$ for 17 hours. The mycerial growth was optimum on PDA medium at $25-30^{\circ}C$and pH 5.6-6.3. Coniferous trees were more susceptible than non-coniferous trees in inoculation test in vitro.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.96 no.4
• /
• pp.425-431
• /
• 2007

To investigate genetic diversity and PCR detection of Rhizina undulata, PCR detection and sequence analysis of rDNA ITS region of R. undulata in soil were analyzed and developed. The length of partial 18S rDNA from four R. undulata isolates were 1,375 nt. The sequence similarity of R. undulata isolates was 100%. The rDNA ITS regions of R. undulata isolates were 585 nt long. Nucleotide sequencing of the ITS regions showed that PDK-1, PTT-1 and PDJ-9 isolates had 100% sequence identity. But, PDS-5 isolate differed from the three isolates by two nucleotide substitution. R. undulata-specific primers designed by the sequence of ITS region were used in PCR detection of R. undulata. PCR products about 525 bp size, which is specific to R. undulata, were amplified from total DNAs of R. undulata isolates. To assay the sensitivity of PCR detection by R. undulata ITS-specific primer, purely cultured mycelial suspension of R. undulata was serially diluted and mixed with 100g of sterile sandy loam soil, respectively. And then, PCR products of total DNAs extracted from each mycelium-soil mixtures were analysed. The PCR protocol could detected up to 1ng mycelium of R. undulata within 100g of soil.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.95 no.4
• /
• pp.388-392
• /
• 2006

To investigate physiological characteristics and genetic diversity of Rhizina undulata isolates distributed in Korea, cultural characteristics and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) of 13 Rhizina undulata isolates from Pinus densiflora and P. thunbergi stands were analyzed. There were no correlations between the host species of R. undulata isolates and the mycelial growth of R. undulata isolates on culture media supplemented with water-soluble extract from the two different host species, i.e., Pinus densiflora and P. thunbergi. Genetic diversity of genomic DNA from 13 R. undulata isolates was analyzed by RAPD using 12 random primers. There was no differentiation in RAPD profiles among the isolates from Korea. But, there was some differentiation in RAPD profiles between Korean isolates and Japanese isolates, with 88% homology by phylogenetic tree analysis.

• Research in Plant Disease
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.208-212
• /
• 2005

At the survey of June, 2002, total 294 dead frees were found in 20 ha of Black pine (Pinus thunbergii) forest located in the western coastal region of Korean peninsula. The dead trees were scattered over the 27 place as groups of about ten trees each. As a result of the field survey on the relationship between the conditions of dead trees and the occurrence of fruiting bodies of Rhizina undulata around the dead and/or dying trees, from June 2002 to August 2004 in the four plots, the occurrence of infected trees was observed as a shape of an irregular concentric circle from the first infected tree and R. undulata was found mainly around the dead tree. Because there was no observation of any other insects and pathogens which would kill trees, the cause of tree death in groups was considered owing to R. undulata. From the analysis of the physical and chemical proper ties of the soil collected from the damaged areas, the pH of soil was between 4.6 and 5.8 and the contents of soil nutrients were very low. Any "fire" trace was not found at all the 27 damaged places in the area, Taean, Chungcheongnam-Do, which are generally known as an important factor to initiate development of the disease. Therefore, further examination is needed to verify precisely about other environmental factors related with the group dying of the Black pines in this area beside 'fire'.