Enhancement of the immunogenicity of the maize rough dwarf virus outer shell with the cross-linking reagent dithiobis(succinimidyl)propionate.

Injection into rabbits of native or glutaraldehyde (GA)-treated intact particles of the fijivirus maize rough dwarf virus (MRDV) failed to yield antibodies to the outer shell of the virus. After fixation of the particles with the cross-linking reagent dithiobis(succinimidyl)propionate (DSP), antisera were obtained reacting with the outer shell of MRDV (both DSP-fixed and unfixed) to a titre of 1/1024 in immunoelectron microscopic decoration tests, but giving no reaction with another fijivirus, oat sterile dwarf virus, whose subviral particles are known to be unrelated to those of MRDV. Further fixation of the DSP-fixed particles with GA did not appear to enhance immunogenicity. Stabilization with DSP could have further application with viruses the instability of which renders them poor immunogens.