Immunological Comparisons of Teliospores of Two Wheat Bunt Fungi, Tilletia Species, Using Monoclonal Antibodies and Antisera

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Abstract
Immunologic analyses of teliospore surfaces using polyclonal antisera and monoclonal antibodies indicated that T. controversa and T. caries were very similar. Although 2 polysaccharide antigens were present in teliospore extracts, these components appeared to be immunologically identical in both species and no protein antigens were demonstrated by either electrophoretic or immunologic means. Spectrophotometric analyses of surface extracts also indicated no extractable protein. None of 7 fluorescein-labeled lectins bound these teliospores, even after the spores were treated with 8 M urea to enhance exposure of potential lectin-binding sites. An antibody double sandwich enzyme immunoassay demonstrated quantitative differences in the numbers of certain monoclonal antibody binding sites of the 2 fungi, although these differences did not provide a basis for the unambiguous detection of either bunt species in contaminated wheat shipments. No qualitative distinction of the 2 spp. was found by any of the methods used in this study.