Effect of glutaraldehyde-fixation on the immunogenicity, particle stability and antigenic reactivity of alfalfa mosaic virus, and the specificity of elicited antibodies

• Published in: Journal of virological methods Vol. 33; no. 1; pp. 13 - 25
• Main Authors: Hajimorad, M.R., Francki, R.I.B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier B.V 01.06.1991; Amsterdam Elsevier; New York, NY
• Subjects: aldehydes; Alfalfa mosaic virus; antibodies; Antibodies, Viral; Antibody Specificity; antigen-antibody reactions; Antigenic reactivity; Antigens, Viral - isolation & purification; Biological and medical sciences; Capsid - immunology; Capsid - isolation & purification; epitopes; Epitopes - isolation & purification; fixation; Fixatives; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glutaral; Glutaraldehyde-fixation; immunodiffusion tests; Immunogenicity; Medicago sativa; Microbiology; Mosaic Viruses - immunology; Mosaic Viruses - isolation & purification; Polyclonal antibody; Techniques used in virology; viral antigens; Virology; Virology - methods; Alfalfa mosaic virus; Antigenic reactivity; Immunogenicity; Polyclonal antibody; Glutaraldehyde-fixation; Virus; Specificity; Fixation; Antigenicity; Plant pathogen; Antibody
• ISSN: 0166-0934; 1879-0984
• DOI: 10.1016/0166-0934(91)90003-I

Glutaraldehyde-fixation was shown to stabilize the structural integrity of alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) particles as well as to increase their immunogenicity and antigenic reactivity. The antigenic reactivity of the particles was substantially increased irrespective of whether the antibodies were from animals immunized with native or fixed AMV, or preparations of coat protein subunits isolated from the virus. No significant changes in the antigenic specificity of AMV particles were detected following glutaraldehyde-fixation. Thus it is possible to raise antisera to AMV with higher titres by using fixed virus as immunogen.