Development of ELISA for the detection of Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum, the causal agent of BXW: Banana Xanthomonas Wilt

Rabbit polyclonal antibodies (PAbs) were produced against a pure isolate of Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum (Xcm), which is the causal organism of banana Xanthomonas wilt (BXW) disease of banana (Musa spp.) in the Great Lakes region of Africa. Anti-Xcm PAbs were used to develop a direct antigen coating enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DAC-ELISA) for the detection of Xcm in leaf and pseudostem tissues of infected banana and plantain (Musa spp.). The anti-Xcm PAbs in DAC-ELISA specifically reacted with Xcm but not with Escherichia coli, X. vasicola pv. vasculorum of maize and sugarcane or X. vasicola pv. holcicola of sorghum. Results of the DAC-ELISA detection of Xcm are comparable with the results of PCR and culture-based detection assays for the same pathogen