Creation of a collection of major common potato viruses for studying the effectiveness of virus elimination methods

Abstract

Background and Aim. Potato is one of the most important food crops; however, its yield and quality are significantly reduced by viral diseases. Potato viruses accumulate in tubers, making their control difficult and necessitating the development of effective methods for virus elimination from seed material. The aim of the study was to establish a collection of the main potato viruses detected in the in vitro collection of the Plant Biotechnology Laboratory of S. Seifullin Kazakh AgroTechnical Research University (KATRU) and to perform their molecular identification for further use in studies on virus elimination in potato material.

Materials and Methods. Virus detection was carried out using enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for Potato virus X (PVX), Potato virus Y (PVY), Potato virus S (PVS), Potato virus M (PVM), and Potato leafroll virus (PLRV) was carried out. Novelty. A collection of the most widespread potato virus isolates with confirmed molecular identification was created. This collection serves as a basis for evaluating the effectiveness of modern virus elimination methods (electrotherapy, cryotherapy, and apical meristem culture) and for improving the quality of potato breeding material.

Results. Diagnosis of 34 potato samples by ELISA and multiplex RT-PCR revealed eight samples infected with PVX and PVM. Both mono- and mixed infections were detected, allowing the collection to be used in subsequent research on potato virus eradication.

Conclusion. A collection of the main potato viruses identified in domestic and foreign varieties from the in vitro collection of the Plant Biotechnology Laboratory was established. Using ELISA and multiplex RT-PCR, the viral status of 36 samples was determined, with mono- and mixed infections (mainly PVX and PVM) detected in eight of them. The created virus collection with confirmed molecular identification serves as a basis for studying and improving plant recovery methods.