A Dot Immunobinding Assay for the Detection of Tobacco Mosaic Virus in Infected Tissues

Abstract

SUMMARY A dot immunobinding assay (DIBA) was modified for the rapid detection of plant viruses in infected tissues by avoiding non-specific reactions and minimizing the amounts of antibodies used. With this method, less than 1 ng of tobacco mosaic virus could be detected in several milligrams of infected tobacco leaves. This simple, rapid and sensitive assay should prove to be a useful and practical diagnostic technique for plant virus diseases.