Use of in vitro Cultures of Daphne cneorum L. for the Western Detection of Daphne Virus X

Abstract In vitro cultures of Daphne cneorum L. were successfully used as test samples for the detection of the viral coat protein of daphne virus X (DVX) by Western analysis. This powerful serological technique could thus be used where viral antigen concentrations may be very low, such as in the early screening of in vitro-cultured “heat therapy” tips from virus elimination programs. Western analysis was conducted on randomly selected D. cneorum plants from a commercial nursery and on in vitro cultures from a commercial micropropagation lab. All the plants and cultures tested were DVX-infected, supporting the view that this ornamental shrub may be universally infected with DVX.