AN ENZYME-LINKED-IMMUNOSORBENT-ASSAY FOR DETECTION OF AVIAN MYCOPLASMAS IN CULTURE

An antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), using mo noclonal antibody (Myc-9) against Mycoplasma pneunoniae, was developed for the detection of M. gallisepticum, M. synoviae, M. meleagridis, M . iowae, M. anatis, M. iners, and M. gallinarum antigens in cultures. ELISA plates were coated with Myc-9 and reacted with the different avi an mycoplasma antigens, which were detected with adsorbed polyclonal a nti-mycoplasma serum followed by anti-rabbit enzyme-labeled conjugate antiserum. Nonspecific reactions and cross-reactivity were eliminated by adsorbing polyclonal antisera with a pool of heterologous antigens, and a high degree of sensitivity was obtained by both antigen enrichm ent and treatment with the detergent N-octyl glucoside. Under these co nditions, the test detected less than 10 colony-forming units/ml. This antigen-capture ELISA appears to be a highly specific, sensitive, rep roducible tool and efficient in the diagnosis of mycoplasma infection.