POLYCLONAL ANTIBODIES AGAINST VERTICILLIUM-DAHLIAE KLEB FROM OILSEED RAPE VIA IMMUNIZED HENS

Polyclonal antibodies (PAb) against Verticillium dahliae were obtained via immunization of hens with water-soluble proteins of a fungal isol ate from oilseed rape and subsequent extraction of egg yolks. The biot inylated PAb proved to be quite efficient in a double antibody sandwic h (DAS-) ELISA with a strepravidin-horseradish peroxidase assay. In a dilution of the PAb of 1 : 1000, no cross-reaction with proteins from other fungal pathogens occurred. With a dilution of 1 : 4000, a high s pecificity towards strains of V. dahliae from oilseed rape was observe d. Isolates of V. dahliae from other host plants reacted at the most o nly weakly, while isolates of V. albo-atrum, V. agaricinum, V. cinnaba rinum and V. lecanii exhibited no reaction above the threshold.