Monochamus alternatus (M. alternatus) and Monochamus saltuarius (M. saltuarius) are major vectors for Bursaphelenchus xylophilus in South Korea. When an adult, they are easily distinguishable by several morphological classification. However, it is difficult to identification between M. alternatus and M. saltuarius when they are larvae as they have very similar morphological characters. Thus, they are not easily distinguishable without expertise about Cerambycidae taxonomy. Furthermore, during epidemiological investigation, sometimes, adults or larvae would not be founded in death pine trees. For these reasons, in this experiment, we are able to identified between M. alternatus and M. saltuarius by mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene primers that are specific to 12S rRNA gene fragment of M. alternatus using larvae tissue and frass. Moreover, we had examined whether vectors that were already escaped from dead pine tree have Bursaphelenchus xylophilus or not by multiplex PCR using larva frass that was remained in dead pine tree.

It is difficult to identification between Bursaphelenchus spp. and Pine Wood Nematode (PWN) by morphological characteristics without expertise about nematode taxonomy. Furthermore, Baermann funnel method, which is nematode extraction method from wood chips or soil, requires at least 24 hours to extract nematode that is unsuitable to rapid diagnose the Pine Wilt Disease (PWD). For these reasons, the aim of this experiment is not only to improve accuracy of a PCR based method but also to reduce total experiment time for detection Bursaphelenchus spp. and PWN in the wood chips of PWD infected pine tree. In this experiment, we had been employed two PCR primer sets, which were originated from PWN specific Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequence region and Bursaphenchus spp. universal mitochondrial Cytocrome Oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) sequence region in order to discrimination between Bursaphelenchus spp. and PWN at the same PCR reaction. This experimental procedure was able to reduce experiment time and cost as well as to improve accuracy of detection than previous PCR based detecting method by not using Baermann funnel method and commercial genomic DNA extraction kit but using direct pine wood chips lysis method.

Lepidopteran pests monitoring in adult stage was generally performed using delta or corn typed trap including rubber septa impregnated sex pheromone (lure). Sometimes, unfortunately trapped samples were severly damaged because of biotic and/or abiotic environments such as micro-organism, predator and rain, sticky material, respectively. In our case, we monitored potato tuber moth, PTM, Phthorimaea operculella distribution during 2009~2012 in Korea. However, we encountered unexpected problem, another species can be trapped in species specific sex pheromone trap. Therefore, species confirmation was needed in trapped samples. Here we developed confirmation method by direct PCR (without DNA extraction) or sequencing methods which trapped samples that cannot identified by morphologically. We designed multi-plex PCR universal primers and species specific primers in rRNA region because to check the success of PCR and species identification. This direct PCR method can be applied in other species confirmation which monitored using pheromone trap.

The mating-type genes control formation of the dikaryon from two haploid strains. These genes are now used in mating-type-assisted breeding programs for economically important mushrooms, especially the oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus, aiming at high-yield and high-quality standard mushroom production. However, it improves the breeding program when the breeder is able to quickly identify compatible strains in a given set of progeny. The two mating factors with their mating-type loci are used as markers for breeding and have been incorporated in a chromosome mapping investigation. The linkage maps include not only genetic markers such as the mating types that can be cored, but also molecular markers such as PCR-assisted approaches, e.g. RAPD analyses, or RFLP markers. Once mating-type genes within progeny may be more easily identified by the use of PCR-directed cloning of partial mating-type genes. We analyzed homeodomain (HD1 and HD2) and pheromone receptor(rcb1, 2 and 3) genes as molecular markers for breeding using mating type A and B of Pleurotus eryngii and Pleurotus ferulae by direct PCR.