MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES-BASED IMMUNOFLUORESCENCE TEST FOR DETECTION OF CONIDIA OF BOTRYTIS-CINEREA ON CUT FLOWERS

Whole conidia, their extracellular material, and a putative cutin este rase isolated from conidia of Botrytis cinerea were used as antigens t o raise monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) for the detection of conidia of B . cinerea. Using immunofluorescence, three selected MAbs recognized co nidia of 43 isolates of B. cinerea from hosts representing six countri es. The percentage of conidia that fluoresced ranged from 50 to 100%. Intensity of fluorescence was related more to the MAb than to the Botr ytis isolate tested. MAbs showed no reaction with healthy gerbera flow ers or to spores produced by other common airborne fungi and bacteria. Crossreaction with conidia of four other species of Botrytis occurred , but their fluorescence patterns differed from those of conidia of B. cinerea.