Serological differentiation of plant-parasitic nematode species with polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies

Although several attempts have been made to differentiate nematode species with polyclonal antisera, these efforts thus far have met with limited success because of extensive crossreactivities of the sera. Since the hybridoma technique offers the opportunity to develop more specific serological reagents, some research groups have recently started to apply this technology to the problem of species identification in nematology. Monoclonal antibodies (MA) that differentiate the potato-cyst nematodes Globodera rostochiensis and G. pallida, as well as MA specific for Meloidogyne species, have been developed. The possibilities of developing serodiagnostic tools for identification of nematodes recovered from soil samples and the implications of such monitoring of nematode infestations in view of integrated control of plant-parasitic nematodes are discussed. Key words: potato cyst nematode, Globodera rostochiensis, G. pallida, antibody, diagnosis, monoclonal antibody, hybridoma, polyclonal antibody, immunoassay.