DEVELOPMENT OF A MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY-BASED ENZYME-LINKED-IMMUNOSORBENT-ASSAY FOR THE DETECTION OF LIVE PROPAGULES OF TRICHODERMA-HARZIANUM IN A PEAT-BRAN MEDIUM

Mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) and mouse and rabbit (polyclonal) a ntisera were raised against a Trichoderma harzianum isolate T95. A cel l line, Th.HD3(3), raised from splenocytes from a mouse immunized with lyophilized mycelium and Quil A adjuvant, produced MAbs of the immuno globulin sub-class IgG2a that were specific recognizing, by ELISA, ant igens from a number of Trichoderma species and species from the relate d genus Hypocrea but not from a range of other soil-borne fungi. These MAbs were used to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA ) for the detection of live propagules of Trichoderma harzianum in a p eat bran medium. Heat, protease and periodate treatment of the T95 ant igen and binding on Western blots indicate that the Th.HD3(3) MAbs rec ognized a protein epitope of ca M(r) 18,500 which forms part of a larg er glycoprotein molecule.