• 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.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.106-108
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• 2007

The Symptoms of witches' broom disease caused by phytoplasma including general stunting and yellowing, were observed in leafy lespedeza (Lespedeza cyrtobotrya M.) on Doam-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, in 2006. Based on the sequence analysis of PCR-amplified 16S ribosomal DNA and 16S-23S spacer region DNA products using universal phytoplasma primers, the phytoplasma associated with leafy lespedeza witches' broom (LLWB) disease was identified as a member of Candidatus Pytoplasma trifolii. It was most closely related to alsike clover proliferation phytoplasma (99.8% similarity, accession no. AY390261), Candidatus Pytoplasma trifolii strain. RFLP patterns generated with AluI, HpaII clearly differentiated LLWB phytoplasma from the referenced phytoplasma strains, water dropwort witches' broom, mulberry dwarf, glehni aster yellow dwarf and jujube witches' broom. This paper is the first report on Candidatus Phytoplasma trifolii in leafy lespedeza identified at a molecular level.