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Title: THE DESIGN OF STRAIN-SPECIFIC POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTIONS FOR DISCRIMINATIONOF PRUNUS NECROTIC RINGSPOT VIRUS ISOLATES

Author
item Hammond, Rosemarie
item CROSSLIN, J - 1275-25-00
item HOWELL, W - WSU-IAREC PROSSER WA
item MINK, G - WSU-IAREC PROSSER WA

Submitted to: Temperate Fruit Crop Viruses and Virus Diseases
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/15/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) occurs worldwide and is a serious pathogen of Prunus species. Isolates that cause mild or severe disease in sweet cherry cannot be distinguished by serology or other particle characteristics; mild strains of the virus are known to cross-protect against subsequent infections by severe strains in field studies. Nucleotide sequence alignment of a 1.5 kb PCR product obtained from RNA 3 of several PNRSV isolates revealed that both symptom type and serotype correlate with the nucleotide sequence as well as the amino acid sequence of the 3a (putative movement protein) and 3b (coat protein) open reading frames. Single amino acid residues are conserved among the symptom types used in this study. Based upon this analysis, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays have been developed that can distinguish between symptom types and serotypes. The results of PCR amplification using type-specific primers show that the primer-selection procedure developed for PNRSV constitutes a reliable method of viral strain detection and will be useful in identifying cross-protecting strains in symptomless cherry trees in growers orchards.