J. G. White

Serological profiling of the fungal genus Pythium

Two monoclonal antibodies and three polyclonal antisera were raised to cell wall/membrane fractions of Pythium violae and Pythium sulcatum . When screened with a collection of 40 isolates of the genus Pythium including 20 species and the H-S group there was extensive cross-reaction. However, when the binding of the antibodies was assessed in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using cytoplasmic fraction antigens, the combined recognition patterns produced profiles unique to each species. Multivariate analysis methods were used to establish relationships between isolates on the basis of these profiles; isolates of the same species tended to group together. The affinity of these reagents for fungi other than members of the genus Phytophthora was low. The use of multi-antibody probes and appropriate statistical methods to differentiate species of fungi is discussed.