Purification of the NY-RMV and NY-SGV Isolates of Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus and the Production and Properties of Their Antibodies. G. N. Webby, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907. R. M. Lister, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907. Plant Dis. 76:1125-1132. Accepted for publication 15 July 1992. Copyright 1992 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-76-1125.

Methods were developed to purify the NY-RMV and NY-SGV isolates of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) in amounts adequate for antiserum production and serological studies. Yields of NY-RMV (from leaves of Clintland 64 oats) and NY-SGV (from roots of Moore barley) were 0.26–0.39 and 0.7–2.7 mg/kg, respectively. Polyclonal antisera to each virus were developed by injecting rabbits and mice. Murine monoclonal antibodies to each virus were also prepared. The specificity of the polyclonal antisera in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) depended on the format of the test used. Immunoassays in which virions were captured on antibody-coated microtiter plates were more specific than immunoassays in which virions were coated onto microtiter plates. The results confirmed serological relationships between NY-SGV and other serotypes grouped as group 1 BYDVs and indicated a more distant relationship between NY-RMV and RPV serotypes, usually grouped as group 2 BYDVs. Cross-reactivity exhibited by the monoclonal antibodies may reflect immunological similarities in certain epitopes among various isolates of BYDV.