Abaca Virus Antisera

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The most destructive viral diseases in abaca are bunchy top disease, mosaic diseases and bract mosaic diseases. Bunchy top disease is caused by abaca bunchy top virus (ABTV) and banana bunchy top virus (BBTV), whereas mosaic disease is caused by sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV-Ab)a and bract mosaic disease is caused by banana bract mosaic virus (BBrMV).  These viruses are transmitted between plants through aphids. Strategies to control these four viruses include use of disease-free planting materials, eradication of infected plants and by spraying with insecticide to kill aphids.

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To maintain disease-free planting materials, methods capable of simultaneous screening high number of samples are needed. To achieve this, a method called enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed. ELISA utilizes proteins called antibodies to detect target proteins among test samples. In this study, the antibodies detect the presence of proteins from the abaca viruses. These antibodies (alternatively called antisera when suspended in blood serum) were produced by injecting proteins from the viruses, produced using a technology called recombinant DNA technology, into laboratory rabbits, and allowing the rabbit’s immune system to produce antibodies that targets the injected proteins. The antibodies are then harvested from the blood, and should be able to recognize and bind the protein from the abaca viruses.

 

The produced antisera was evaluated using indirect ELISA, a format of ELISA which uses two steps of antibody binding to enhance sensitivity of the method. The antisera, however, produced inconsistencies in detection. Other modifications in the procedure such as addition of chemicals to make proteins more accessible to the antisera also produced unsatisfactory results. To further improve the quality of antibody, the antisera were purified by isolating only a type of antibody called immunoglobulin G (IgG). The IgG were then used to detect proteins of abaca viruses using other formats of ELISA called direct double antibody sandwich (DAS) ELISA and Direct Antibody Coating ELISA. These methods are faster and cheaper, and produced more reliable detection of abaca viruses.

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Paper for ABTV- and BBTV-specific antisera has been published (Koh et al 2020), while paper for SCMV- and BBrMV-specific antisera is still being drafted.

 

PhilFIDA regional diagnostic laboratories can request the antisera using the link below. Please send filled-out request form to by accomplishing the excel file and google form (see Links above). After utilizing the product, please give us your feedback by accomplishing the feedback form.