Detection of Tomato Ringspot Virus by Polymerase Chain Reaction. John A. Griesbach, Plant Pathologist, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Salem 97310-0110. Plant Dis. 79:1054-1056. Accepted for publication 14 July 1995. Copyright 1995 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-79-1054.

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol has been developed for the detection of tomato ringspot virus (TomRSV) in herbaceous and woody plant tissues. This PCR test detected all major TomRSV serogroups (A through E) and can detect as little as 60 pg of target sequence in Malus sylvestris leaf tissue. The oligonucleotides selected for the TomRSV PCR primed a 449-nucleotide region of the putative viral polymerase gene and did not react lo any of the healthy plant tissues tested. The high sensitivity and specificity of TomRSV PCR give researchers a new and powerful technique to study this important plant virus.

Keyword(s): ELISA, GVYV, PYBMV