Detection and Identification of a Mixed Infection of Three Viruses in Chinese Artichoke in Korea

Chinese artichoke (Stachys sieboldii Miq.) belongs to herbaceous perennial plants of Labiatea and is cultivated as edible and medicinal crops in China, Japan and Korea.A Chinese artichoke plant showing virus-like symptoms was collected in Chungju, Korea.Plant sap of the sample was inoculated in Nicotiana tabacum cv.Xanthi-nc, Chenopodium quinoa and Chenopodium amaranticolor.Necrotic local lesions were observed in the inoculated leaves of N. tabacum cv.Xanthi-nc and C. amaranticolor, C. quinoa with systemic chlorotic spots and mosaic symptoms on the upper leaves.The disease reactions on indicator plants suggested that the collected Chinese artichoke sample was mixed-infected with different viruses.We detected three viruses by RT-PCR analysis using genus-and species-specific primer sets for Alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV), Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV).This study is the first report of a mixed infection of three viruses in Chinese artichoke in Korea.