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Disease Detection and Losses

Serology of a Closteroviruslike Particle Associated with Mealybug Wilt of Pineapple. D. E. Ullman, Department of Entomology, 3050 Maile Way, Room 310, University of Hawaii, Honolulu 96822; T. L. German(2), U. B. Gunasinghe(3), and R. H. Ebesu(4). (2)(3)Department of Plant Pathology, 3190 Maile Way, University of Hawaii, Honolulu 96822; (4)Department of Entomology, 3050 Maile Way, Room 310, University of Hawaii, Honolulu 96822. Phytopathology 79:1341-1345. Accepted for publication 29 June 1989. Copyright 1989 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-79-1341.

Antiserum was produced to a closteroviruslike particle consistently associated with pineapple plants (Ananas comosus ‘Smooth Cayenne’) affected with mealybug wilt of pineapple. Purified immunoglobulins (IgG) specific to pineapple virus and goat anti-rabbit IgG were used to develop an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of pineapple virus in crude pineapple leaf extracts. Specific reactions between IgG specific to pineapple virus and virus from pineapple plants were shown by serologically specific electron microscopy, Ouchterloney double diffusion tests, and ELISA. The etiological significance of this pineapple virus remains to be determined. Detection of virus in crude leaf extracts with ELISA will enable identification of potentially virus-free plants for use in testing Koch’s postulates, determination of infection in pineapple before symptom expression, and study of the plant host range of the virus.