ELISA reagents for potato virus Y strains with significantly low non-specific reactions

Abstract

High titered and highly virus-specific antisera to selected PVYo and PVYn antigens and their mixture were produced in rabbits. Immunoglobulins purified from the antisera with the protein A method and their enzyme conjugates had very strong virus-specific but no non-specific reactions in the ELISA test. Their homologous reactions to the antigens were stronger than heterologous but any PVY isolate could be identified in a potato leaf sample with the dilutions between 10-2 and 10-3 and in a sample from sprouted tubers with secondary infection diluted between 10-1 and 10-2.