Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies to Potato Virus Y and Their Use for Virus Detection

Cultures of hybrid cells secreting monoclonal antibodies to potato virus Y (PVY) were produced by fusing a non-secreting FO myeloma cell line with spleen cells from BALB/c mice immunized with an isolate of the tobacco veinal necrosis strain group (PVY n 605). Monoclonal antibodies were obtained which reacted with common antigenic determinants of 24 isolates belonging to the homologous (PVY n ), common (PVY o ) and stipple streak (PVY c ) strain groups of PVY. Other antibodies were either strictly specific to PVY n isolates or of intermediate specificity. In enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of PVY viruses, a preparation of monoclonal antibody to a common antigenic determinant gave more uniform reactions than polyclonal antibodies from rabbit serum. Enzyme conjugates of monoclonal antibody preparations could be used highly diluted without loss of activity in ELISA, thereby decreasing the background caused by non-specific reactions.