Evaluation of Indirect Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for the Detection of Plant Viruses

Abstract

Indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was compared to double-antibody sandwich ELISA for the detection of 2 plant viruses [carnation mottle virus and carnation ringspot virus] in carnations [Dianthus caryophyllus]. For purified virus, indirect ELISA proved to be more sensitive than sandwich ELISA and for detecting virus in crude extracts. The main advantage was its simplicity for routine virus detection. Interference and enhancement phenomena were observed when indirect ELISA was used for virus detection in crude plant extracts. The relative merits of the sandwich and indirect tests for the indexing of plant viruses are discussed.