Résumé
Potato virus Y(PVY) is the most important virus infecting potato (Solanum tuberosum), causing potato tuber necrotic ringspot disease (PTNRD), with a great impact on seed potato production. Numerous PVY strain groups with different pathogenicity and economical impact are distributed worldwide. Tools for accurate and reliable detection and discrimination of PVY strain groups are therefore essential for successful disease management.
Two state of the art characterization tools based on detecting molecular markers RT-qPCR (Kogovsek et al., 2008) and SNaPshot (Rolland et al., 2008) were assessed for their ability to assign PVY accurately to the correct group. The results were validated by bioassay, ELISA and in silica sequence analysis. The spectrum of PVY strain groups distinguished by SNaPshot is broader than that by RT-qPCR. However, the latter was more reliable in discriminating the PVYNTN group members, known for their ability to induce PTNRD on selected potato cultivars. The difference in discrimination precision was due to different molecular markers being targeted by RT-qPCR and SNaPshot. Both tools use genotypic markers for detecting PVYNTN strain groups. Future development, however, should be focused on identifying the genomic determinants of the tuber necrosis property. Until then, the RT-qPCR and SNaPshot methods remain the most powerful diagnostic tools for detecting the PVY subgroup isolates found in Europe. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.