Full Length Research Paper

Identification of a latent pathogen on mulberry tree with a disease of mosaic dwarf

Jianming Fei¹, Yufeng Li¹, Yan Wu², Xichuang Bai³, Guofang Shi¹, Feng Yu² and Yuanzhang Kuai⁴*

¹Huzhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Huzhou 313000, China.

²Institute of Life Science, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China.

³Wuxing Station of Silkworm and Mulberry technical Guidance, Huzhou 31300,

China.

⁴Sericultural Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhenjiang 212008, China.

*Correspondence author. E-mail: kyz2006@sina.com. Tel.: +86-511-85616663.

Accepted 1 September, 2009

   Abstract

A disease on mulberries with the typical symptoms of mosaic and dwarf leaves was found in middle areas of China in 1980s. Presently, this disease became serious and spread out. Based on previous finding, we detected a viroid-like small molecular RNA in diseased mulberries tissues. In this paper, we further identified the pathogen of mulberry mosaic dwarf disease (MMDD) according to the Koch's postulates and reported the diagnostic method of the pathogen by using PCR with two sets of specific primers. The result might be helpful to control the disease extension.

Key words: Mulberry, mosaic dwarf disease, viroid-like RNA, identification.