Limitations in the use of horseradish peroxidase as an enyzme probe in the development of a homogeneous immunoassay for aflatoxin B1

Horseradish peroxidase (HRPO) was used as a probe to quantitate aflatoxin B₁ by a homogeneous immunoassay. The conjugation of AFB₁ to HRPO resulted in 54% loss of enyzme activity. In the presence of AFB₁ specific antibodies, the HRPO-AFB₁ conjugate showed reversal of its lost enzyme activity by 12%. This positive modulatory effect of antibody on the enzyme activity was used as an analytical tool to quantitate AFB₁. The homogeneous assay carried out with free AFB₁ and HRPO-AFB₁ conjugate in the presence of antibodies indicated poor linearity as compared to the heterogeneous assay. It was observed that the number of HRPO-lysine residues involved in AFB₁ conjugation were 6–8. The low level of modulation of enzyme activity by antibody with respect to HRPO-AFB₁ conjugate, could possibly be attributed to the limited number of lysine residues in the HRPO molecule and its proximity to the active site of the enzyme. Thus, HRPO was found to be limiting as an enzyme with respect to the homogeneous enzyme immunoassay for AFB₁ analysis. The antibodies raised were specific for AFB₁, and showed excellent linearity even at high dilution for the detection of AFB₁ by ELISA indicating that antibodies per se were not the limiting factor.     

Direct competitive ELISA based on a monoclonal antibody for detection of aflatoxin B1. Stabilization of ELISA kit components and application to grain samples

A direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on a monoclonal antibody has been developed and optimized for detection of aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁), and an ELISA kit has been designed. This immunoassay was highly specific, sensitive, rapid, simple, and suitable for aflatoxin monitoring. AFB₁ concentrations determinable by ELISA ranged from 0.1 to 10 μg L⁻¹. The IC₅₀ value was 0.62 μg L⁻¹. Recovery from spiked rice samples averaged between 94 and 113%. The effect of different reagents on the stability of HRP–AFB₁ conjugate solution was studied. The performance of a stabilized enzyme tracer in ELISA was determined and compared with that of a freshly prepared control solution of HRP–AFB₁ conjugate. The results showed that stabilizing media containing 0.02% BSA, 0.1% Kathon CG, and 0.05 mol L⁻¹ calcium chloride in 0.05 mol L⁻¹ Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.2) maintained the activity of HRP–AFB₁ at a dilution of 1:1000 for a period of at least 12 months at room temperature whereas the reference conjugate solution without the additives lost its activity within a few days. Several additives were tested for their stabilizing effect on a monoclonal antibody (MAb) immobilized on the surface of polystyrene microtitre plates. It was shown that immobilized MAb, treated with post-coating solutions containing PVA, BSA, and combinations of these substances with trehalose, retained its activity for at least 4 months at 4°C, whereas the untreated MAb-coated plate lost its activity within 2 days.     

直接竞争荧光免疫法测定中药材中的黄曲霉毒素B1

本文采用Mannich反应合成黄曲霉毒素B1(AFB1)人工抗原,免疫小鼠制备AFB1单克隆抗体。采用直接搅拌法将异硫氰酸荧光素(FITC)标记AFB1抗体,经Sephadex-50凝胶柱纯化,制得FITC-AFB1荧光标记抗体,分析其免疫学特性,从而建立了一种快速灵敏的直接竞争荧光免疫分析方法(FIA)以用于检测中药材中的AFB1含量。结果表明,AFB1-FITC标记抗体的结合比率为4.19。通过对检测体系多项影响因素的筛选优化,FIA检测方法的标准曲线方程为I=33.45 log C+25.55,R=0.9913,线性检测范围1~100 ng/m L,检测限0.69ng/m L,回收率90.4%~106.6%。该方法具有操作简单、快速灵敏、特异性高等特点,可用于中药材中AFB1的分析测定。     

Rapid detection of aflatoxin B1 on membrane by dot-immunogold filtration assay

Immunofiltration assay for mycotoxins in which nitrocellulose membrane (NCM) was used as a support and enzyme was used as the label has been developed since the late 1980s. As colloidal gold is a good labeling substance that can accelerate antibody-antigen reaction which result can be read directly by naked eyes, the colloidal gold particles could replace the enzyme to be labeled to antibody in aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) immunoassay. Dot-immunogold filtration assay (DIGFA) of AFB₁ on NCM was developed in this study. At first, the colloidal gold was synthesized and colloidal gold-monoclonal antibody (McAb) conjugates against AFB₁ were prepared at pH 7.0 of colloidal gold solution, 0.018 mg/mL of McAb. Then the colloidal gold-McAb conjugates were used to develop AFB₁ DIGFA, which detection time was only 15 min, six times less than that of ELISA. With this method to determine the standard AFB₁ solution, the results demonstrated a visual detection limit of approximately 2 ng/mL of AFB₁, which was similar to that of ELISA. This method had good specificities for AFG₁, AFG₂ and AFM₁ and a little cross-reactivity with AFB₂. 45 food samples collected from the markets were subjected to DIGFA and the results showed that one corn sample was positive and in agreement that of HPLC. It is suggested that DIGFA developed in current study has a potential use as a rapid and cost-effective screening tool for the determination of AFB₁ in foods in the field within 15 min without complicated steps.     

AFB1–AP Conjugate for Enzyme Immunoassay of Aflatoxin B1 in Corn Samples

Abstract

This article describes the conjugation between aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁), one of the major mycotoxins, and alkaline phosphatase (AP), one of the most used enzymes for immunoassays. In addition, an application of the ELISA method for aflatoxin B₁ determination in corn is presented. Three AFB₁–AP conjugates in different toxin–enzyme ratios were prepared and tested. The ELISA results, developed with the most effective conjugate obtained, showed a satisfactory working range between 2.4 and 4000 ng of toxin/g of corn. The detection limit was 2 ng/g in corn samples, and recoveries ranged from 105 to 120%.     

Fluorimetric enzyme immunoassay for serum β2-microglobulin based on the horseradish peroxidase-labeled Fab′ fragment of immunoglobulin

A sensitive sandwich-type enzyme immunoassay for human β₂-microglobulin in serum is described. Rabbit anti-human β₂-microglobulin IgG is coated on a styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer bead, which is incubated with β₂-microglobulin in serum sample at 30°C for 1 h, and again incubated at 30°C for 1 h with a conjugate of anti-β₂-microglobulin Fab′ (a fragment of rabbit anti-human β₂-microglobulin IgC) and horseradish peroxidase to form a sandwich-type immunocomplex. The conjugate is prepared with a heterobifunctional reagent, N-succinimidyl-3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionate. The peroxidase activity of the immunocomplex is measured spectrofluorimetrically by use of 3-(p-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid. The method permits precise assay of 0.05–10 ng of β₂-microglobulin in serum, with calibration linearity up to 1.0 ng of protein.     

Potentiometric competitive immunoassay for determination of aflatoxin B<Subscript>1</Subscript> in food by using antibody-labeled gold nanoparticles

The authors report on a competitive potentiometric immunoassay for aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) in food that displays distinctly improved sensitivity. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs; 16 nm i. d.) were functionalized with polyclonal anti-AFB₁ antibody (pAb), whilst the sensor electrode was prepared by immobilizing AFB₁-bovine serum albumin conjugate (AFB₁-BSA) on a glassy carbon electrode. Upon addition of target AFB₁, competitive immunobinding occurs between the analyte and AFB₁-BSA for the labeled pAb on the AuNPs. The change in the surface charge as a result of the antigen-antibody reaction causes a shift in the electrical potential. With increasing concentrations of analyte (AFB₁), the quantity of pAb-AuNP captured by the electrode decreases. The shift in the output potential is linearly proportional to the logarithm of AFB₁ concentration in the 0.1 to 5.0 μg?·?kg^?1 range, with a detection limit (LOD) of 87 ng?·?kg^?1 (87 ppt). An intermediate precision of 10.9 % was accomplished in batch-to-batch identification. The selectivity over AFB₂ with similar chemical structure is acceptable. The method accuracy was evaluated by analyzing naturally contaminated and spiked peanut samples, giving consistent results (with RSD values of <12 %) between this immunoassay and the commercial ELISA.

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Graphical Abstract A potentiometric immunosensor was designed for detection of AFB₁ by using nanogold-labeled antibodies as the signal-amplification tags.

     

Enzyme‐Mediated Site‐Specific Bioconjugation of Metal Complexes to Proteins: Sortase‐Mediated Coupling of Copper‐64 to a Single‐Chain Antibody

The enzyme‐mediated site‐specific bioconjugation of a radioactive metal complex to a single‐chain antibody using the transpeptidase sortase A is reported. Cage amine sarcophagine ligands that were designed to function as substrates for the sortase A mediated bioconjugation to antibodies were synthesized and enzymatically conjugated to a single‐chain variable fragment. The antibody fragment scFv_anti‐LIBS targets ligand‐induced binding sites (LIBS) on the glycoprotein receptor GPIIb/IIIa, which is present on activated platelets. The immunoconjugates were radiolabeled with the positron‐emitting isotope ⁶⁴Cu. The new radiolabeled conjugates were shown to bind selectively to activated platelets. The diagnostic potential of the most promising conjugate was demonstrated in an in vivo model of carotid artery thrombosis using positron emission tomography. This approach gives homogeneous products through site‐specific enzyme‐mediated conjugation and should be broadly applicable to other metal complexes and proteins.     

Simultaneous enzyme immunoassay for the screening of aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A in chili samples

Membrane-based immunoassay has been developed for simultaneous estimation of aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) and ochratoxin A (OA) in chili samples. The combined estimation of both the mycotoxins is more economical in respect of time, work and materials than two separate assays. The method uses a low cost test device consisting of a membrane with immobilized anti-AFB₁ and anti-OA antibodies and a filter paper attached to a polyethylene card below the membrane. It allows direct analysis of sample extracts containing substantial amount (40%) of methanol. This permits the use of two-fold diluted sample extracts resulting in minimum dilution error. The limit of quantitation obtained was 2 and 10 μg kg⁻¹ for AFB₁ and OA, respectively. The tolerance of 40% methanol was found to be due to the application of small size (0.8 mm diameter) spots on membranes, as the tolerance decreases to 20% with gradual increase in spot size. The combined method is capable of producing acceptable results to analyze AFB₁ and OA in chili with accuracy and precision. The AFB₁ and OA values obtained for spiked and naturally contaminated chili samples by the simultaneous method were in good correlation with those measured by individual ELISA. The method offers a simple, rapid and cost-effective screening tool to meet the requirements of the rapidly evolving EU legislation.     

Part-per-trillion level detection of estradiol by competitive fluorescence immunoassay using DNA/dye conjugate as antibody multiple labels

Fluorescent organic dyes are currently the standard signal-generating labels used in microarray quantification. However, new labeling strategies are needed to meet the demand for high sensitivity in the detection of low-abundance proteins and small molecules. In this report, a long-chain DNA/dye conjugate was used to attach multiple fluorescence labels on antibodies to improve signal intensity and immunoassay sensitivity. Compared with the 30 base-pair (bp) oligonucleotide used in our previous work [Q. Zhang, L.-H. Guo, Bioconjugate Chem. 18 (2007) 1668-1672], conjugation of a 219 bp DNA in solution with a fluorescent DNA binder SYBR Green I resulted in more than sixfold increase in signal intensity, consistent with the increase in bp number. In a direct immunoassay for the detection of goat anti-mouse IgG in a mouse IgG-coated 96-well plate, the long DNA conjugate label also produced higher fluorescence than the short one, accompanied by about 15-fold improvement in the detection limit. To demonstrate its advantage in real applications, the DNA/dye conjugate was employed in the competitive immunoassay of 17β-estradiol, a clinically and environmentally important analyte. The biotin-terminated DNA was attached to biotinylated anti-estradiol antibody through the biotin/streptavidin/biotin bridge after the immuno-reaction was completed, followed by conjugation with SYBR Green I. The limit of detection for 17β-estradiol is 1.9 pg mL⁻¹, which is 200-fold lower than the assay using fluorescein-labeled antibodies. The new multiple labeling strategy uses readily available reagents, and is also compatible with current biochip platform. It has great potential in the sensitive detection of protein and antibody microarrays.     

A Magnetic Particle-Based Competitive Enzyme Immunoassay for Rapid Determination of Ciprofloxacin: A Potential Method for the General Detection of Fluoroquinolones

Fluoroquinolones are effective antimicrobial agents, but their residues in food may cause serious health issues. Hence, it is necessary to develop a rapid and simple assay for fluoroquinolones. In this study, monoclonal antibodies against ciprofloxacin with broad specificity to fluoroquinolones were prepared. The newly developed magnetic particle-based competitive enzyme immunoassay was performed in a homogeneous sample, and ciprofloxacin was quantitatively detected in the range of 0.3–24.3 ng mL^?1. The IC₅₀ and LOD values of the method were 2.27 ng mL^?1 and 0.25 ng mL^?1. In chicken muscle, the recoveries of spiked ciprofloxacin at 8, 20, and 40 ng mL^?1 were all higher than 79%. Additionally, the performance of the developed magnetic particle-based immunoassay exhibited an excellent correlation with commercial ELISA kits (r = 0.997). The anti-ciprofloxacin monoclonal antibodies provided high cross-reactivity with eight fluoroquinolones analogues: enrofloxacin (110.1%), sarafloxacin (99.7%), difloxacin (90.2%), danofloxacin (89.8%), norfloxacin (110.3%), lomefloxacin (65.2%), ofloxacin (75.1%), and flumequine (45.0%). This protocol provides an alternative immunoassay for ciprofloxacin with the advantages of simple separation, a homogeneous reaction, rapid detection (within 30 min), and stable results. Furthermore, it may be employed for the rapid general determination of fluoroquinolones in animal products.     

Novel Enzyme-Linked Aptamer Assay for the Determination of Aflatoxin B1 in Peanuts

Abstract

A novel enzyme-linked aptamer assay is reported for the determination of aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁). AFB₁ can competitively bind with the immobilized biotin-aptamer and release biotin complementary DNA, leading to the gradual fading of the detection system color with increasing of AFB₁ concentration. In the absence of AFB₁, the biotinylated complementary DNA is not be released from the fixed aptamer. Therefore, the enzyme reaction occurs in the detection system. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the proposed method possessed a wide linear range for AFB₁ from 1 to 80?ng/mL (R² of 0.990) with a low detection limit of 0.36?ng/mL. The method was then applied to detect uncontaminated peanuts fortified with different concentrations of AFB₁. The recovery values were from 82.60% to 94.43%, which indicated the proposed method may be used to detect AFB₁ in food and has potential for the development of test kits.     

The Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer from Firefly Luciferase to a Synthetic Dye and its Application for the Rapid Homogeneous Immunoassay of Progesterone

The sensitive BRET system for the homogeneous immunoassay of a low‐molecular weight antigen was developed using progesterone as an example. Two thermostable mutants of the Luciola mingrelica firefly luciferase (Luc)—the “red” mutant with λ_max.em = 590 nm (RedLuc) and the “green” mutant with λ_max.em = 550 nm (GreenLuc)—were tested as the donors. The water‐soluble Alexa Fluor 610× (AF) dye was selected as the acceptor because its two absorption maxima, located at 550 and 610 nm, are close to the bioluminescence maxima of the GreenLuc and RedLuc, respectively. The methods for the synthesis of the luciferase–progesterone (Luc–Pg) conjugate and the conjugate of the dye and the polyclonal antiprogesterone antibody (AF–Ab) were developed. Both conjugates retained their functional properties, had high antigen–antibody binding activity, and demonstrated a high BRET signal. The homogeneous immunoassay system based on the BRET from the firefly luciferase to the synthetic dye was established to assay progesterone as a model antigen. Optimization of the assay conditions, the composition of the reaction mixture, and the concentrations of the donor and the acceptor made it possible to reach the minimum detectable progesterone concentration of 0.5 ng mL^?1.     

A Highly Sensitive Enzyme Immunoassay of Anti-Insulin Antibodies in Guinea Pig Serum

Abstract

A highly sensitive enzyme immunoassay of anti-insulin antibodies in guinea pig serum is described. Guinea pig anti-insulin serum was diluted to various extents with nonspecific guinea pig serum and incubated with insulin. Insulin bound to anti-insulin antibodies was separated from free insulin by precipitation with polyethylene glycol. Anti-insulin antibodies in the precipitates were dissociated from insulin and inactivated by incubation with 0.1 mol/1 HCl. The amount of insulin dissociated was measured by sandwich enzyme immunoassay using anti-insulin IgG-coated polystyrene balls and affinity-purified anti-insulin Fab′-horseradish peroxidase conjugate. The detection limit of anti-insulin antibodies in guinea pig serum was improved 1,000-fold as compared with that of the enzyme immunoassay previously described, in which insulin-coated polystyrene balls were incubated with diluted guinea pig anti-insulin serum and subsequently with rabbit (anti-guinea pig IgG) Fab′-horseradish peroxidase conjugate.     

An Enzyme Immunoassay for the Determination of Methabenzthiazuron

Abstract

A sensitive enzyme immunoassay is described for the determination of the urea herbicide methabenzthiazuron. The assay is carried out with polyclonal antibodies, which were raised in rabbits by immunization with a methabenzthiazuron-BSA conjugate containing five methabenzthiazuron residues per molecule. The ELISA was optimized on microtiter plates with a peroxidase-methabenzthiazuron tracer. The middle of the test (50% B/B₀) was found at 1.0 μg/l. The lower detection limit of methabenzthiazuron is c. 0.05 μg/l. Samples can be measured up to 10 μg/l methabenzthiazuron (upper detection limit). The assay does not require concentration or clean-up steps for drinking or ground water samples. Validation experiments showed a good accuracy and precision. Work with monoclonal antibodies is in progress.     

Double-antibody homogeneous fluorescence immunoassay of phenytoin

A homogeneous fluorescence immunoassay suitable for quantifying 5–25 mg l^?1 phenytoin (5,5-diphenyl-2,4-imidazolidenedione) in serum is described. The fluorophor-labeled phenytoin and unlabeled phenytoin (analyte) compete for a limited number of anti-phenytoin antibody binding sites in the presence of anti-fluorophor antibodies. The label employed is a sulfonamido derivative of 2-naphthol-8-sulfonic acid (2-8) which, at neutral pH, undergoes excited-state proton transfer. Binding of anti 2-8 antibodies to the drug-fluorophor conjugate results in quenching of the conjugate base emission at 480 nm. The relative standard deviations are about 5%.     

Novel and Ultrasensitive Sandwich Enzyme Immunoassay (Sandwich Transfer Enzyme Immunoassay) for Antigens

Abstract

A novel and ultrasensitive sandwich enzyme immunoassay (sandwich transfer enzyme immunoassay) for antigens is described. Antigens were reacted with dinitrophenyl monoclonal mouse antibody IgG₁ and rabbit antibody Fab′-ß-D-galactosidase conjugates. The complex formed of antigens with dinitrophenyl monoclonal mouse antibody IgG₁ and rabbit antibody Fab′-ß-D-galactosidase conjugates was trapped onto affinity-purified rabbit (antidinitrophenyl bovine serum a1bumin) IgG-coated polystyrene balls. After eliminating excess of the conjugates, the complex was eluted from the polystyrene balls with dinitrophenyl-L-lysine and transfered to clean polystyrene balls coated with affinity-purified rabbit (anti-mouse IgG) IgG. ß-D-Galactosidase activity bound to the (anti-mouse IgG) IgG-coated polystyrene balls was assayed by fluorimetry. Nonspecifically bound ß-D-galactosidase activity considerably decreased with less decrease in specifically bound ß-D-galactosidase activity. As a result, the detection limits of human thyroid-stimulating hormone (0.01 nu, 0.02 amol) and human growth hormone (10 fg, 0.5 amol) by the present enzyme immunoassay were 30-fold lower than those by the conventional enzyme immunoassay, in which antigens were incubated with monoclonal mouse antibody IgG₁-coated polystyrene balls and rabbit antibody Fab′-ß-D-galactosidase conjugates.     

An antibody reactive to the Gly63–Lys68 epitope of NT-proBNP exhibits O-glycosylation-independent binding

The N-terminal fragment of prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a commonly used biomarker for the diagnosis of congestive heart failure, although its biological function is not well known. NT-proBNP exhibits heavy O-linked glycosylation, and it is quite difficult to develop an antibody that exhibits glycosylation-independent binding. We developed an antibody that binds to the recombinant NT-proBNP protein and its deglycosylated form with similar affinities in an enzyme immunoassay. The epitope was defined as Gly₆₃–Lys₆₈ based on mimetic peptide screening, site-directed mutagenesis and a competition assay with a peptide mimotope. The nearest O-glycosylation residues are Thr₅₈ and Thr₇₁; therefore, four amino acid residues intervene between the epitope and those residues in both directions. In conclusion, we report that an antibody reactive to Gly₆₃–Lys₆₈ of NT-proBNP exhibits O-glycosylation-independent binding.     

Homogeneous enzyme-linked competitive binding assay for riboflavin

A rapid and precise homogeneous enzyme-linked competitive binding assay for riboflavin (vitamin B₂) is described. The method utilizes a malate dehydrogenase/3-carboxymethylriboflavin conjugate in conjunction with soluble riboflavin binding protein. In the absence of the vitamin, the catalytic activity of the enzyme/riboflavin conjugate is inhibited up to 71% by the binding protein. In the presence of riboflavin, activity is regained in an amount dependent on the riboflavin concentration. The detection limits of the dose/response curves are dependent on both the degree of conjugation (average number of 3-carboxymethylriboflavins per enzyme molecule) and the reagent ratio (conjugate/binder) used in the assay tube. Under optimized conditions, a detection limit of 3 ng ml^?1 of riboflavin can be achieved with high selectivity over other vitamins and biomolecules. While malate dehedrogenase activity is inhibited to some degree by components of human urine, use of riboflavin standards prepared in a diluted urine matrix enables the method to be utilized for direct determination of urinary riboflavin.     

Functional Stabilization of Cellulase from Aspergillus niger by Conjugation with Dextran-aldehyde

The covalent conjugates of cellulase from Aspergillus niger were prepared with various molar ratios by using dextran. The conjugate (n_E/n_D: 1/5) showed higher activity than purified enzyme at all temperatures after 1 h of incubation and its activity could also be measured at higher temperature. Also, this conjugate lost only 60% activity in 2 h at 70°C in comparison to the purified enzyme, which lost all its activity. In addition, conjugation protected cellulase against denaturation in the presence of sodium dodecylsulfate (residual activity of about 80%) and inactivation by air bubbles (residual activity of about 50% for 4 h).