Simultaneous detection of six citrus viroids and Apple stem grooving virus from citrus plants by multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction

We developed a multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect six citrus viroids: Citrus exocortis viroid (CEVd), Citrus bent leaf viroid (CBLVd), Hop stunt viroid (HSVd), Citrus viroid III (CVd-III), Citrus viroid IV (CVd-IV) and Citrus viroid OS (CVd-OS) and Apple stem grooving virus (ASGV, synonym: Citrus tatter leaf virus (CTLV)) from citrus plants. The multiplex RT-PCR was also designed to distinguish CVd-I-LSS (a distinct variant of CBLVd) from CBLVd. By the multiplex RT-PCR, one to eight fragments specific to the pathogens were simultaneously amplified from one sample and identified by their specific molecular sizes in 6% polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The results of the multiplex RT-PCR were consistent with those of other diagnoses, such as uniplex RT-PCR, to detect each of the pathogens. The multiplex RT-PCR provides a simple and rapid method for detecting various viroids and ASGV in citrus plants, which will help diagnose many citrus plants at a time. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.