title: Alleged common antigenic determinant of tobacco mosaic virus coat protein and the host protein ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase is an artifact of indirect ELISA and western blotting.
abstract: We have reported the detection of an antigenic determinant shared by the tobacco mosaic virus coat protein and the large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase, a host protein (R.G. Dietzgen and M. Zaitlin Virology 155, 262-266, 1986). This conclusion was questioned by D. Zimmermann and M.H.V. Van Regenmortel (Arch. Virol. 106, 15-22, 1989). Thus we have reinvestigated this unexpected serological cross-reaction in Western immunoblotting and indirect ELISA. We found that when skimmed milk instead of bovine serum albumin was used as a blocking agent and as a diluent for antibodies and alkaline phosphatase conjugates, the alleged cross-reaction was abolished. In light of these findings, we retract our previous conclusions.
authors.affiliation: Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Plant Pathology Branch, Indooroopilly, Australia.
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Dietzgen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zaitlin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002213:Capsid / Q000276:immunology*; D002417:Cattle; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D007106:Immune Sera; D008894:Milk Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D012273:Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase / Q000276:immunology*; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000201:enzymology*; D014027:Tobacco Mosaic Virus / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D007106:Immune Sera; D008894:Milk Proteins; D012273:Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase