Eleven monoclonal antibodies specific to plum pox potyvirus (PPV) coat protein were obtained by hybridoma technology from Spanish PPV isolates. In addition, two monoclonal antibodies specific for PPV cylindrical inclusions (CIP non‐structural proteins) were obtained. The monoclonal antibodies specific for PPV coat protein were assayed by DASI ELISA against 81 PPV isolates. At least nine different epitopes were found and 21 distinct serological patterns of reaction (serogroups) were established using nine selected monoclonal antibodies against the collection of PPV isolates, indicating the high variability of coat protein among PPV isolates. Changes in epitope composition were observed after aphid and mechanical transmission, indicating the occurrence of mixtures of isolates in field trees. Monoclonal antibody 5B reacted with all PPV isolates assayed, with very high affinity, using DASI ELISA. This method was compared with immunocapture‐PCR on field samples in spring, and showed very good coincidence of results. The efficiency of PPV detection can be slightly increased using monoclonal antibodies specific to cylindrical inclusions mixed with monoclonal antibodies against structural proteins, and using mixtures of monoclonal antibodies against different epitopes of coat protein. ELISA‐I and immunoprinting‐ELISA were able to detect CIP and PPV in extracts and tissue section, respectively, of woody plants. Two monoclonal antibodies offer the possibility of distinguishing between Marcus and Dideron PPV types (M or D). These D‐specific monoclonal antibodies can be used in routine tests with high affinity.

Enzymes for use in the sugar industry are preferred to be thermotolerant. In this study, a synthetic codon-optimized gene encoding a highly thermostable β-fructosidase (BfrA, EC 3.2.1.26) from the bacterium Thermotoga maritima was expressed in the yeast Pichia pastoris. The gradual increase of the transgene dosage from one to four copies under the control of the constitutive glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase promoter had an additive effect on BfrA yield without causing cell toxicity. Maximal values of cell biomass (115 g/l, dry weight) and overall invertase activity (241 U/ml) were reached at 72 h in fed-batch fermentations using cane sugar as the main carbon source for growth. Secretion driven by the Saccharomyces cerevisiae α-factor signal peptide resulted in periplasmic retention (44 %) and extracellular release (56 %) of BfrA. The presence of N-linked oligosaccharides did not influence the optimal activity, thermal stability, kinetic properties, substrate specificity, and exo-type action mode of the yeast-secreted BfrA in comparison to the native unglycosylated enzyme. Complete inversion of cane sugar at initial concentration of 60 % (w/v) was achieved by periplasmic BfrA in undisrupted cells reacting at pH 5.5 and 70 °C, with average productivity of 4.4 g of substrate hydrolyzed per grams of biomass (wet weight) per hour. The high yield of fully active glycosylated BfrA here attained by recombinant P. pastoris in a low-cost fermentation process appears to be attractive for the large-scale production of this thermostable enzyme useful for the manufacture of inverted sugar syrup.

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