Development of a one-step immunocapture real-time RT-PCR assay for the detection of barley stripe mosaic virus strains in barley seedlings.

A one-step immunocapture real-time RT-PCR (IC-real-time RT-PCR) was developed for efficient detection of barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) in barley seedlings. The novel detection system was designed using a primer set targeting the conserved region in the triple gene block 2 (TGB2) to expand its capacity to detect all BSMV strains. This assay was evaluated for its efficiency in detecting BSMV in barley seedlings. Using the immunocapture sample preparation, real-time RT-PCR was able to detect BSMV in samples, which were indicated as negative by ELISA. The sensitivity of detection in the real-time RT-PCR was as low as 50 fg/µl of total viral RNA under optimal reaction conditions. This level of sensitivity indicated that the one-step IC-real-time RT-PCR developed in the present study could be used for routine plant and seed health assays.