Detection and analysis of the wood decay fungus <i>Lentinus Lepideus </i>Fr. using immunological probes

Immunological probes (antibodies) were raised in New Zealand White rabbits against the wood decay fungus <i>Lentinus lepideus</i> Fr. and thereafter employed in a variety of immunological techniques to (i) develop an immunodetection system for the fungus and (ii) to analyse L. lepideus antigens. Preliminary experiments indicated that immunological techniques could be used to detect the fungus. Nitrocellulose-based systems proved to be the most sensitive and offered the greatest potential as a routine detection system for <i>L. lepideus</i>.<br/><br/>The cross-reactivity of the <i>L. lepideus</i> antiserum mirrored the degree of taxonomic relatedness between <i>L. lepideus</i> and the fungal isolates tested. Other <i>L. lepideus</i> strains and <i>Lentinus </i>species cross-reacted most strongly followed by in descending order of magnitude, brown rot basidiomycete fungi, white rot basidiomycete fungi and deuteromycete fungi.<br/><br/>Wood blocks artificially infected with <i>L. lepideus</i> were prepared, pine (<i>Pinus sylvestris</i> .L) and lime (<i>Tilia vulgaris </i>.Hayne) being chosen as a representative softwood and hardwood respectively. Conventional weight loss studies were carried out in tandem with immunological analysis. <i>L. lepideus</i> could be detected within extracts from wood blocks showing no, or minimal, weight loss. Immunocytochemical and immunofluorescence techniques proved useful in mapping the spread of <i>L. lepideus</i> within wood block sections.<br/><br/>A small field trial using nine creosote-treated distribution pole stubs was established. <i>L. lepideus</i> was identified within core sections removed from the poles using microbiological isolation techniques and the dot-immunobinding assay. A statistically significant level of association between positive microbiological isolations of the fungus and positive reactions in the immunoassay was found.<br/><br/>Chemical analysis and characterisation studies of <i>L. lepideus</i> antigens revealed that carbohydrate is the major fungal component with significant amounts of protein also being present. The majority of the antigens are glycoproteins although some protein antigens were identified. The antigenicity of the fungus varies with age and when cultured on different growth substrates.<br/><br/>The application of immunological techniques to the detection and analysis of <i>L. lepideus</i> and the potential of such techniques as a screening system for incipient fungal decay in creosote treated distribution poles is discussed.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

PhD

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral Thesis

Year dc:date.issued

1990

Author dc:creator

• Glancy, Heather

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Palfreyman, John

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

oai:rke.abertay.ac.uk:studenttheses/da15b991-bfad-4501-9057-c2dfaca766a6

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:rke.abertay.ac.uk:studenttheses/da15b991-bfad-4501-9057-c2dfaca766a6