Detection and characterization of plum pox potyvirus isolates from southern Germany by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)1

Plum pox potyvirus (PPV) isolates show quantitative and qualitative differences in host plants, symptomatology, aphid transmissibility and molecular biology. In order to gain an overview of the different PPV strains that exist in Germany, several PPV isolates, mainly deriving from southern Germany, were analysed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the reaction yielding a 243 bp product. All PPV isolates tested were amplified and the amplified fragments were analysed by restriction endonuclease digestion. An Rsa I restriction site polymorphism in the amplified fragments allowed the discrimination of two groups of isolates.