Identification and Pathogenicity of Neophysopella vitis Causing Rust Disease on Meliosma myriantha in Korea

Abstract

Rust symptoms on <i>Meliosma myriantha</i> trees have been noticed during disease surveys in Korea since 2010, with a high disease incidence frequently surpassing 90%. The causal fungus of the rust disease was identified as <i>Neophysopella vitis</i> based on the morphological investigation and molecular sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and large subunit (LSU) rDNA regions. This is the first report of rust disease caused by <i>N. vitis</i> on <i>M. myriantha</i> in Korea. A pathogenicity assay proved that <i>M. myriantha</i> serves as the aecial host of <i>N. vitis</i> as spermogonia and aeciospores were produced, which can infect the two uredinial hosts, Boston ivy (<i>Parthenocissus tricuspidata</i>) and Virginia creeper (<i>Parthenocissus quinquefolia</i>).