POSSIBILITIES OF THE POTYVIRUS-SPECIFIC POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF POTYVIRUSES IN BULBOUS CROPS

A method has been developed for the specific detection of potyviruses using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Sets of degenerate oligonucleotide primers were constructed corresponding with local areas of conserved amino-acid sequences in the replicase and coat proteins of potyviruses.
These sets were used in a combined assay of reverse transcription and PCR resulting in potyvirus-specific amplification.
Digestion of amplified fragments with restriction enzyme(s) and subsequent electrophoresis resulted in virus-specific restriction-fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP; Langeveld et al., 1991).

This technique appears to be very useful in the differentiation of potyviruses, the identification of new ones, and the detection of mixed infections of potyviruses.
This will be demonstrated with potyviruses occurring in bulbous crops as lily, tulip, iris and Nerine.
With freeze-dried samples stored for more than 25 years retrospective studies are possible.

VI International Symposium on Flower Bulbs

A.F.L.M. Derks, M.E.C. Lemmers, S.A. Langeveld, J.M. Doré, E.L. Dekker, J.F. Bol

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1992.325.109