Abstract
Plant viruses are one of the most limiting factors to the production of potato crops in Saudi Arabia and worldwide. Therefore, accurate identification of these viruses has a great importance. Due to high price cost of commercial ELISA kit, synthesized peptide sequences were designed with its immunoglobulin G (IgG), Survey of potato fields in six regions of Saudi Arabia were conducted with a total of 1240 potato leaf samples showed viral symptoms. Specific primers to amplify partial coat protein genes of the potato viruses were used in reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. Partial coat protein gene for isolates of Potato virus Y (PVY), Potato leaf roll virus (PLRV) and Potato virus X(PVX) were sequenced and submitted to GenBank. Specific peptide sequences for the three potato viruses were designed and synthesized. PVY was the most prevalent virus followed by PLRV then PVX. Antibodies produced for PVY and PLRV were succeeded in the detection of the two viruses in the infected samples and gave readings in ELISA higher than that of the antibodies obtained from the commercial kit indicating high sensitivity in the detection of PVY and PLRV. In addition, the antibody produced for PVX gave positive results with all the infected samples but lower than the readings of PVX antibody obtained from the commercial kit. Antisera produced against potato viruses through peptides synthesis proved their efficiency for the detection of the potato viruses.