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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #147584
Title: DETECTING GEMINIVIRUSES IN SWEET POTATO BY PCR

Author
item Li, Ruhui
item Salih, Sarbagh
item Hurtt, Suzanne

Submitted to: American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/13/2003
Publication Date: 6/3/2004
Citation: Li, R., Salih, S.S., Hurtt, S.S. 2004. Detecting geminiviruses in sweet potato by pcr. American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting. 93(6):S51.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Genetic resources of sweet potato Ipomoea batatas from foreign origins are commonly infected with geminiviruses. Graft-inoculation to an indicator host, I. setosa, to detect the viruses is laborious and takes up to 8 wk. Infected sweet potatoes undergo meristem tip culture to eliminate the viruses, but the eradication rate is low. In this work, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay using degenerate primers or virus-specific primers was developed for diagnosis of geminiviruses in in vitro sweet potato plantlets. DNA was extracted from small piece of plant tissue in a simple, fast process. PCR products of predicted sizes were amplified from infected but not healthy plants. The assays detected 10 geminivirus isolates from Asia and America. The assays were as reliable as the bioassay. Moreover, they could be used year-round, and required no greenhouse space for growing the candidate sweet potato plants or indicator plants. The PCR assays will accelerate detection of geminiviruses and subsequent selection of virus-free propagations after in vitro therapy, as well as aid in developing better techniques for the therapy.