Simple and rapid technique to detect PVY presence in some Solanaceae plants

Abstract

The study of plant-virus interactions requires a method which enables not only the detection of virus presence, but also its distribution in the infected plant tissue. We adopted a tissue print immunoblot technique for localization of potato virus Y (PVY) coat protein (CP) in infected potato and tobacco tissue. In potato stem cross-sections PVY CP was detected on the whole surface of the prints, however significantly higher concentration was observed in epidermis and phloem tissue. In the petiole of infected tobacco leaves the presence of viral protein was confined mainly to peripheral layers of parenchyma and epidermis. In phloem tissue the signal was also visible but it was significantly weaker. In our hands this approach is highly specific and gives resolution on the level of individual cells, thus it can be applied in several fields. As potyviral capsid proteins are involved in several events of pathogenesis the technique for immunolocalization of PVY CP could provide information which will shed new light on the virology of PVY.