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Disease Detection and Losses

Monoclonal Antibodies-Based Immunofluorescence Test for Detection of Conidia of Botrytis cinerea on Cut Flowers. Jesús Salinas, Laboratory for Monoclonal Antibodies, P.O. Box 9060, 6700 GW Wageningen, The Netherlands; Arjen Schots, Laboratory for Monoclonal Antibodies, P.O. Box 9060, 6700 GW Wageningen, The Netherlands. Phytopathology 84:351-356. Accepted for publication 23 December 1993. Copyright 1994 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-84-351.

Whole conidia, their extracellular material, and a putative cutin esterase isolated from conidia of Botrytis cinerea were used as antigens to raise monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) for the detection of conidia of B. cinerea. Using immunofluorescence, three selected MAbs recognized conidia of 43 isolates of B. cinerea from hosts representing six countries. The percentage of conidia that fluoresced ranged from 50 to 100%. Intensity of fluorescence was related more to the MAb than to the Botrytis isolate tested. MAbs showed no reaction with healthy gerbera flowers or to spores produced by other common airborne fungi and bacteria. Cross-reaction with conidia of four other species of Botrytis occurred, but their fluorescence patterns differed from those of conidia of B. cinerea.