English
Diversity and Life Cycles of Rust Fungi Occurring on Prunus spp. in Korea
Yoo Kyeong Lee1, Jae Sung Lee2, Seong-Jin Lee3, Seung-Yeol Lee4, Hee-Young Jung4, Yongho Jeon5, Hyeon-Dong Shin6, Young-Joon Choi1,7*
1Department of Biological Science, Kunsan National University, Gunsan, Korea
2Department of Agricultural Biology, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Wanju, Korea
3Department of Plant Quarantine, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, Korea
4Department of Plant Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea; Institute of Plant Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea
5Department of Plant Medicals, Gyeongkuk National University, Andong, Korea
6Division of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
7Center for Convergent Agrobioengineering, Kunsan National University, Gunsan, Korea
*Email: yjchoi@kunsan.ac.kr
Rust fungi (Pucciniales) are the largest group of plant-pathogenic Basidiomycota, comprising approximately 7,000 species. The genus Prunus (Rosaceae) includes economically important fruit crops such as almond, apricot, and peach. Rust diseases can cause premature defoliation, reducing fruit yield and quality. In Korea, rust fungi on Prunus spp. have been reported under Caeoma, Blastospora, and Tranzschelia. However, some host–fungus associations remain unclear. In this study, rust specimens from Prunus spp. and their putative alternate hosts were examined using morphological observations and molecular phylogenetic analyses. Four species were identified: Blastospora makinoi, B. radiata, Leucotelium semiaquilegiae, and Tranzschelia discolor. Blastospora radiata and L. semiaquilegiae are newly recorded in Korea, and Prunus salicina and Semiaquilegia adoxoides are newly recognized as rust hosts in Korea. Field observations and sequence data clarified the heteroecious life cycles of Blastospora and Leucotelium, linking Prunus spp. with alternate hosts such as Smilax spp. and Se. adoxoides. These findings update the taxonomy and host relationships of Prunus-associated rust fungi in South Korea.
