THE CHARACTERIZATION OF CHICKEN ANTIBODIES RAISED AGAINST FUSARIUM SPP. BY ENZYME-LINKED-IMMUNOSORBENT-ASSAY AND IMMUNOBLOTTING

Immunoassays for the detection of three Fusarium species have been dev eloped. Chickens were immunized with the soluble antigens from within the mycelia (mycelia-soluble antigens) and the exoantigens of Fusarium sporotrichioides, Fusarium pone and Fusarium graminearum and the anti gens were characterized using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, immu noblotting and sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophore sis (SDS-PAGE). The cross-reactivities of antisera with eleven species of Fusarium, eleven species of fungi from other genera and the buffer -extracts of grain were determined. Antisera to the exoantigens and my celia-soluble antigens did not cross-react with buffer-extracts of gra in. The antisera against the mycelia-soluble antigens tended to cross- react with the antigens from other genera whereas the antisera against the exoantigens were genus specific. The antiserum raised against exo antigens from F. poae was species specific. The molecular weights of t he immunodominant antigens from the Fusaria were above 28 kilodaltons. Antigens from Fusaria showed specific bands in SDS-PAGE gel that can be used to produce more specific antibodies. The results suggest that exoantigen immunoassays can be developed to identify Fusarium genus, w hereas mycelia-soluble antigens are not suitable for immunoidentificat ion among genus. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.