| Because the propagation of a homogeneous sequence in planta is rather an exception than the rule for most of viruses there is a need to use a more complex approach to characterize virus variability. We adopted temperature gradient-gel electrophoresis (TGGE) and DNA heteroduplexes methods to study mutated variants, quasispecies, strain mixtures and dynamics of virus populations. Our work is concentrated to several potato (PVS, PVY) and hop (ApMV) viruses. The system of immunocapture RT-PCR probing was developed in our and co-laboring labs. To characterize variability of local isolates of PVY and PVS. Variability of particular genes like HCPro of PVY is studied in connection to gene silencing and antisensing research of our group. |
