Detection and Characterization of Seed-Borne Bacterial Leaf Blight in Wheat

Wheat is one of the most important crops which contributes toward global food security and
represents a main source of food and income for millions of smallholder farmers worldwide.
Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae (Pss) is the causal agent of bacterial leaf blight wheat
disease which can cause up to 50% yield loss or more depending on the time of infection
and region. In addition, Pss is transmitted by wheat seeds, which can play a role in longdistance
spread. Therefore, developing and implementing effective management strategies
for bacterial diseases is very important to reduce yield and quality loss. However, rapid and
accurate detection of diseases is the first essential step for effective management strategies
for control of this disease. Even though molecular tools for Pss precise detection and
characterization has been developed, the most practical approach for rapid diagnosis is the
use of serological assays using specific antibodies. A polyclonal antiserum against a Syrian
isolate of Pss was produced and its quality was evaluated by Dot-blot Immunoassay using
homologous and heterologous antigens. Results revealed that the produced antiserum was
able to detect Pss up to 1×103 CFU/ml dilution using raw antiserum at a dilution of 1/160 with
no cross reactivity with other bacterial species (e.g. Xanthomonas).