Immunoassays for detection of Fusarium: development and applications

Genus Fusarium includes wide and phylogenetically heterogeneous group of fungi. This group includes obligate and facultative parasites of plants, saprophytic species. The most part of Fusarium species is phytotrophic organisms that cause different phytopathologic symptoms: rot of fruits, seeds, roots, total growth depression and fading. Widely distributed species is F. graminearum that causes roots rot of cereals. F.avenaceum, F.solani, F.culmorum, F.gibbosum induces roots rot of pea, haricot, tomato, potato, cucumber, watermelon. F. oxysporum induces tracheomycotic fading of plants. The most part of Fusarium species produce biologically active compounds: vitamins, antibiotics and toxins. The most harmful toxins are zearalenon, desoxinivalenol (vomitoxin), fumanisins B1 and B2. Ingestion of infected food due serious poisoning of people and animals. Fusarium is also a causative agent of respiratory and gastrointestinal allergy in humans and animals.
Some of Fusarium species live on books and other paper substrates and may cause substantial damage in libraries
The presence of Fusarium antigens in food may cause allergic symptoms. Spores of Fusarium are capable to induce chronic rhinoconjunctivitis or bronchial asthma after inhalation.

Fusarium graminearum (Ag827) extract was used as the source of immunogen to immunize rabbits. Rabbit antiserum against Fusarium (AS827) was further enriched by affinity chromatography on immobilized antigen. Affinity purified antibodies (AS827 A) are available for research.

ELISA kit (K827) was constructed from AS827 antiserum as single site inhibitory assay, see IFU
Additional kit information:
Test principle: competitive, polyclonal antibodies
Total time of analysis: 60/30/15 min
Sensitivity: 1 µg/ml of F. graminearum antigens
Material: grain

Accumulation of antigens measured by K827 Fusarium ELISA in cultivation medium correlates well with the number of conidia (see figure below). Accumulation of antigen in culture fluid in general reflects the growth of fungal culture

Species specificity of K827 Fusarium EIA In spite of heterogeneity of Fusarium species and strains extracts (see the table below) most of them show a reactivity in K827 Fusarium EIA

Applications of of K827 Fusarium EIA – the examples

Material tested	Alternaria antigens, µg/ml	Fusarium antigens, µg/ml	Comments
Alternaria ALLERGEN	>500	<1	skin prick test, AllergopharmaTM
Fusarium ALLERGEN	<0.5	>500
Alternaria alternata infected wheat	>200	<5	Experimental infection in the field during florification
25 lots of grain from fields	5	6
	12; 16; 17; 22	12; 33; 272	Positives, µg/g