ABSTRACT
A strain-specific antibody to Pseudomonas fluorescens was used to develop two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays: a sandwich and a competitive assay. Both assay types could be used to perform rapid and sensitive detection of the target organism in extracts of sediment samples.
Subject(s)
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Pseudomonas fluorescens/isolation & purification , Soil Microbiology , Antibodies, Bacterial/immunology , Antibody Specificity , Binding, Competitive , Predictive Value of Tests , Pseudomonas fluorescens/immunology , Reproducibility of ResultsABSTRACT
Of 34 strains of marine bacteria isolated on a general seawater medium, 5 were selected for detailed studies of their population dynamics in the plankton. The isolates were characterized as Aeromonas sp., Chromobacterium cf. lividum, Vibrio sp., and two Pseudomonas spp. Specific antibodies were produced by immunization of rabbits, and bacterial cells were stained on black Uni-Pore membrane filters by an indirect immunofluorescent staining procedure. The method proved to be very specific and practical for use in a large-scale field sampling program. Growth of all five isolates was stimulated by high values for net primary production, chlorophyll a, and dissolved organic carbon. Calculation of a diversity index based on specific and total counts is proposed as a way of characterizing the dynamics of organotrophic bacterial populations in the sea.
