GENERATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES TO FLAVESCENCE DOREE PHYTOPLASMA - SEROLOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS AND DIFFERENCES IN ELECTROBLOT IMMUNOASSAY PROFILES OF FLAVESCENCE DOREE AND ELM YELLOWS PHYTOPLASMAS

Eleven stable hybridoma cell lines secreting monoclonal antibodies spe cific for FD-phytoplasma, the pathogenic agent of grapevine Flavescenc e doree, were produced by fusing a non-secreting myeloma cell line wit h spleen cells from Balb/c mice immunized with Flavescence doree phyto plasma purified by immunoaffinity. These monoclonal antibodies were ch aracterized for their recognition of phytoplasma proteins by western b lot. Six of eleven reacted specifically in ELISA and immunoblotting wi th Elm-yellows phytoplasma These antibodies did not react either in EL ISA or in western blot with preparations from periwinkles infected wit h phytoplasmas that cause GYU (Grapevine Yellows from Udine), AP (Appl e Proliferation), EAY (European Aster Yellows) and StolC (Stolbur from France). Two of these hybridoma lines were used routinely for the imm unodiagnosis of Flavescence doree phytoplasma in diseased grapevines.