Use of enzyme amplification in an ELISA to increase sensitivity of detection of barley yellow dwarf virus in oats and in individual vector aphids

A new technique of alkaline phosphatase amplification in an ELISA (amplified ELISA) was used to increase the sensitivity of detection of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) from oat plant sap and in individual vector aphids. Amplified ELISA differs from conventional direct double antibody sandwich ELISA (DAS-ELISA) in the enzyme substrate reaction. The bound enzyme-labelled antibody catalyzes the conversion of NADP to NAD which is then used in a secondary enzyme-mediated cyclic reaction producing a red-coloured end product. Amplified ELISA was compared with DAS-ELISA for the detection of BYDV and each assay was done with both monoclonal and polyclonal antibody reagents. Both types of antibodies detected BYDV from oat sap and amplified ELISA increased the sensitivity of detection sufficiently to allow a diagnostic test to be completed in less than 2 h using microtitre plates precoated with antibodies. However, in the amplified ELISA using polyclonal antibodies the absorbance values obtained with the healthy oat sap samples were much greater than those obtained in the DAS-ELISA, or with the monoclonal antibodies, and were too large to be acceptable for reliable diagnostic tests. Both monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies were used successfully to detect BYDV in individual virus-carrying Rhopalosiphum padi by amplified ELISA and there was little non-specific background reaction in the control samples with either of the antibodies.