DETECTION OF POTATO VIRUS-Y IN POTATO-TUBERS - A COMPARISON OF POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION AND ENZYME-LINKED-IMMUNOSORBENT-ASSAY

A method was devised by which specific sequences of potato virus Y (PVY) RNA could be detected in total tuber RNA extracts by reverse transcription into cDNA and amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This method of PVY detection was tested and compared with the antibody-trapped antigen form of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ATA-ELISA) using monoclonal antibodies. Both PCR and ATA-ELISA could detect PVY reliably in progeny tubers taken from growing plants of cv. Record, or tubers stored for 3 weeks after harvest. The ability to detect PVY decreased substantially after tubers had been stored for 20 weeks at 10-degrees-C. ATA-ELISA detected virus in only half the tubers from infected plants. However, PCR detected PVY very inefficiently in infected tubers after 20 weeks storage.