monoclonal antibody and the lectin wheat germ agglutinin induce zoospore encystment in Pythium porphyrae, a marine microbial pathogen

• Published in: Mycologia Vol. 94; no. 4; pp. 712 - 722
• Main Authors: Addepalli, M.K, Fujita, Y, Kanai, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 01.07.2002; Mycological Society of America
• Subjects: agglutinins; algae and seaweeds; Antibodies; antibody specificity; Antigens; aquatic fungi; Cysts; encystment; Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; epitopes; Flagella; fluorescent antibody technique; fungal anatomy; fungal diseases of plants; Fungal spores; host plants; immunofluorescence assay; Lectins; Monoclonal antibodies; monoclonal antibody; Morphology/Development; plant pathogenic fungi; Porphyra; putative receptor; Pythium; pythium porphyrae; red rot disease; Spores; wheat germ; Zoospores
• ISSN: 0027-5514; 1557-2536
• DOI: 10.1080/15572536.2003.11833198

Pythium porphyrae (Oomycota) is a microbial pathogen which causes red rot disease in the commercially cultivated red seaweed Porphyra. This disease is initiated by the motile zoospores of the fungus, which it has been suggested to recognize and process host specific signals by membrane bound receptors. Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were developed against the surface components of zoospores and cysts of this fungus in order to try and identify the putative receptor molecules involved in the zoospore encystment process. Screening of MAbs by immunofluorescence assays has revealed three different patterns of surface epitope binding, while labeling of zoospore and cysts components by FITC-conjugated lectins has identified different carbohydrate moieties. Of the MAbs and lectins tested, MAb 1A3 and wheat germ agglutinin have induced zoospore encystment under in vitro conditions. MAb 1A3 identified a 109 KDa band of a glycoprotein in western blot analysis which could be a putative receptor responsible for the induction of zoospore encystment.