Serology of potyviruses: current problems and some solutions

The serological relationships among members of the family Potyviridae are extremely complex and inconsistent. Variable cross-reactivity of polyclonal antisera, unexpected paired relationships between distinct viruses, and lack of cross-reactions between some strains are the major problems associated with the serology of potyviruses. Recent biochemical and immunochemical investigations of coat proteins have established the molecular basis for potyvirus serology and provided explanations for most of the problems with serology of potyviruses. Information from these studies has also formed the basis for the development of several novel approaches to the accurate detection and identification of potyviruses. However, even these novel approaches are not without drawbacks and some of them cannot be applied easily in plant virus laboratories, since they require prior sequence information and facilities for peptide synthesis. These findings suggest that serology is an imperfect criterion for the identification and classification of potyviruses.