Diversity of potato virus Y isolates infecting solanaceous vegetables in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in the Republic of South Africa

Abstract

Potato virus Y (PVY) is a virus of economic importance worldwide with a wide host range. The virus displays a diversity of strains at a biological, serological and molecular level. The aim of this study was to identify the different strains of PVY infecting pepper ( Capsicum annuum L.), potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) and tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) in the province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in the Republic of South Africa (RSA). Plant material showing PVY-like symptoms were sampled from small-scale and commercial farms. PVY isolates were detected using double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAS ELISA) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). All PVY infected samples were further tested with strain-specific antibodies and primers. PVY O was the only strain found in all the tomato and pepper infected samples; while a diversity of strains comprising PVY N, PVY NTN and PVY NWilga, with mixed infections in some cases, was found in the potato infected samples. These results confirm the diversity of PVY in KZN as is the case wherever the virus occurs around the world.