VIEW ARTICLE

Etiology

Detection of Four Isometric Plant Viruses in Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Immunodiffusion Tests. D. E. Purcifull, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611; S. R. Christie(2), and J. Albersio A. Lima(3). (2)(3)Department of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611; (3)Present address: Centro de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidade Federal do Ceara, C. P. 354, 60,000-Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil. Phytopathology 71:1221-1224. Accepted for publication 18 March 1981. Copyright 1981 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-71-1221.

Antisera were obtained by immunizing rabbits with purified, freeze-dried sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-treated preparations of cowpea mosaic, cucumber mosaic, southern bean mosaic, and squash mosaic (SqMV) viruses. Each antiserum reacted homologously in SDS-immunodiffusion tests against SDS-treated extracts of infected leaves that were heated in a boiling water bath for 4 min prior to use. None of the antisera to the isometric viruses cross-reacted in reciprocal tests. An antiserum to untreated SqMV reacted specifically in SDS-immunodiffusion tests with either aqueous extracts or SDS-treated, nonheated sap, but did not react with heated, SDS-treated extracts. The results provided additional evidence that SDS-immunodiffusion tests are feasible for diagnosis of certain spherical viruses under conditions in which filamentous plant viruses also can readily be detected.