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Disease Detection and Losses

Monoclonal Antibody-Based Double-Antibody Sandwich-ELISA for Detection of Verticillium spp. in Ornamentals. M. Marjolein van de Koppel, 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 85:608-612. Accepted for publication 22 February 1995. This article is in the public domain and not copyrightable. It may be freely reprinted with customary crediting of the source. The American Phytopathological Society, 1995. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-85-608.

Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were raised against extracellular molecules from Verticillium dahliae to detect V. dahliae and V. albo-atrum in rose and chrysanthemum. Eight selected MAbs recognized V. dahliae and V. albo-atrum isolated from these hosts. One of these MAbs performed well in a monoclonal double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. With this assay, V. dahliae and V. albo-atrum could be detected in roses and chrysanthemums that were artificially or naturally infected. Sap of healthy plants did not react, and cross-reactions with six other fungi isolated from rose were not observed. The distribution pattern of V. dahliae in the plant was determined by testing stem parts taken at different heights. V. dahliae was detected predominantly in the stem-base, although it occurred throughout the whole plant and not in every stem. This implies that the test should include a number of small samples of each plant.