Recent Advances on Potato virus Y Research in Canada

Significant progress has been made in recent years in understanding pathological, serological and molecular properties of various strains of PVY and the aphid-mediated transmission. PVYO and PVYN appear to be the basic strain groups. Through genome recombination between these two groups, progeny groups whose genome possess one (e.g., PVYN:O or PVYN-Wi) to three (e.g., recombinant PVYNTN or European-PVYNTN) recombinant joints of PVYO and PVYN emerged. PVYN:O causes PVYN-like veinal necrosis in tobacco, but reacts to PVYO-specific antibody. PVYNTN causes potato tuber necrotic ringspot diseases in sensitive potato cultivars, and PVYN-like necrosis in tobacco plants, and reacts to PVYN-specific antibody. Through single nucleotide mutation(s), non-recombinant PVYNTN (or North American PVYNTN) also emerged from PVYN. It is also noteworthy that PVYN isolates originated from North America and Europe may have evolved separately; and to date most recombinant strains appear to be progenies of Eu-PVYN and PVYO. Several RT-PCR-based methodologies have been developed to characterize and detect various strains of PVY. A field survey revealed that PVYN:O has become a predominant strain in Manitoba and neighbouring states in USA. Moreover, three distinct variant groups inciting severe, intermediate and mild veinal/petiole/stem necrosis, respectively, on tobacco plants were observed within the PVYN:O isolates collected in Manitoba. Pathological and molecular diversity within PVYO strain group were revealed in New Brunswick, represented by PVYO-FL as a severe variant and by PVYO-RB as a mild variant. Studies on the transmission of PVY by various species of aphids revealed that aphid behavior plays an important role in the vector-mediated transmission. Application of mineral oil on the growing crop, especially in combination with use of crop borders, reduces aphid-mediated PVY transmission. Based on recent PVY research studies, Bartlett Superior 70 Oil was approved in 2011 for application to potato crops in Canada.