Development of a monoclonal antibody TAS-ELISA assay for detection of Phaeomoniella chlamydospora.

Phaeomoniella chlamydospora is an important tracheomycotic fungus involved in different syndromes of the esca disease complex affecting young and mature grapevine plants. Although grapevine planting material is frequently infected by this pathogen, no regular screening to detect the fungus is carried out, mainly due to the lack of fast, sensitive and affordable methods for large-scale application. A monoclonal antibody-based triple antibody sandwich (TAS) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to specifically detect Pa. chlamydospora from grapevine wood tissues. This assay could be especially useful for large-scale application in nurseries, to ensure Pa. chlamydospora-free grapevine stocks, and thus contributing to the production of healthy propagation material.