Immunochemical detection of aflatoxigenic potential ofAspergillusspecies with antisera prepared against enzymes specific to aflatoxin biosynthesis

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Abstract
Antisera against a methyltransferase specific to the late stages of the aflatoxin biosyn‐thetic pathway were produced in rabbits and were characterized by double diffusion, immunoelectrophoretic analysis (IEA), and crossed‐IEA. Analysis of a homogeneous preparation of the enzyme (purity>95%) with the antisera revealed two antigenic components. The presence of specific methyltransferase in the extracts of several Aspergillus spp. was ascertained by measuring the continuity of identical precipitin lines between adjoining patterns in the line‐IEA. The precipitin lines, typical for the purified enzyme, were also observed in the extracts of several Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus strains that had methyltransferase activity; but no reactivity was detected in extracts of other Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium spp. that did not exhibit the enzyme activity. The present study indicates that an immunochemical profile for the methyltransferase could be used as a tool in the identification of the aflatoxigenic potential of various Aspergillus spp.