Serological Differentiation of Three Species of Armillaria and Lentinula edodes by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Using Immunized Chickens as a Source of Antibodies

Antibodies to three isolates each of Armillaria mellea, A. ostoyae, A. tabescens, and Lentinula edodes were isolated from eggs of immunized laying hens. The reactivity of each antibody preparation with all isolates was examined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The cross-reactivity of the antibody preparations to a given Armillaria species varied considerably when tested against isolates of other Armillaria species. Several antibody preparations were capable of distinguishing isolates of its homologous species from isolates of heterologous species. The specificity of the antibodies present in eggs was dependent on time elapsed since immunization. Eggs laid 3 weeks after immunization with an Armillaria species isolate possessed antibodies that were most specific for isolates of that species. The intergeneric cross-reactivity was found to be smallest with antibodies from eggs laid 5 weeks or more after immunization. Preliminary results suggest that ELISA using chicken egg yolk antibodies will provide useful information in the taxonomy of Armillaria.