Detection of potyviruses with antisera to synthetic peptides

Eight peptides corresponding to conserved regions of the coat protein of potyviruses were synthesized. All the peptides were recognized by anti-virus or anti-core-virus. Antisera raised to the synthetic peptides were tested with purified viruses and viral antigens present in plant sap. In many cases, the extent of cross-reactivity between different potyviruses was not correlated with the degree of sequence homology between the peptide used for immunization and the corresponding region in the coat protein of the potyvirus tested. An antiserum raised to a peptide of 18 residues containing a highly conserved region was found to react with all seven potyviruses tested.