Interference in PCR: Transcription amplifications of mixed PVY isolates

Abstract

Interference in PCR and transcription amplifications by mixed virus templates is described. The yields of PCR amplification of closely related PVY isolates in a mixture were lower than those of the separate amplification of each individual virus strain, i.e. the two virus templates mutually interfered in their amplification process. When PCR products of mixed PVY isolates served as templates for transcription, RNA synthesis was also inhibited. This interference could be avoided by applying strain-specific primers in the separate amplification of each target sequence in the mixture. The use of strain-specific primers in PCR amplification of a mixed virus infection thus enabled detection of each virus isolate without interference.

Keywords

• potato virus y
• rsscp
• rflp
• mixed infection
• interference
• conformation polymorphism
• pcr