Co-fluorescence of europium and samarium in time-resolved fluorimetric immunoassays.

In the presence of an excess of Y3+, the fluorescence intensities of Eu3+ and Sm3+, chelated with benzoyltrifluoroacetone (BTA) or thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTA) in an aqueous solution containing 1,10-phenanthroline, were increased by factors ranging from 209- to 811-fold. This co-fluorescence phenomenon was used in a highly sensitive time-resolved fluorimetric detection of the lanthanides, Eu3+ and Sm3+. The detection limits of Eu3+ in the BTA- and TTA-based solutions were 4 and 15 fmol dm-3, respectively. The detection limits of Sm3+ were 0.11 and 0.12 pmol dm-3, respectively. The co-fluorescence enhancement systems were also applied in the double-label time-resolved fluorimetric immunoassay of luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone using specific antibodies labelled either with Eu3+ or Sm3+. The co-fluorescence enhancement solution was superior as compared with the commercial 'direct' fluorescence enhancement solution based on the acidic solution of beta-naphthoyltrifluoroacetone, trioctylphosphine oxide and Triton X-100, in respect to the signal level obtained and the sensitivity. It is suited to time-resolved fluorimetric immunoassays in which particularly high detection sensitivities are required, and it can also be used in double-label assays employing Eu3+ and Sm3+ chelate labels.     

Lanthanide-based time-resolved luminescence immunoassays

The sensitive and specific detection of analytes such as proteins in biological samples is critical for a variety of applications, for example disease diagnosis. In immunoassays a signal in response to the concentration of analyte present is generated by use of antibodies labeled with radioisotopes, luminophores, or enzymes. All immunoassays suffer to some extent from the problem of the background signal observed in the absence of analyte, which limits the sensitivity and dynamic range that can be achieved. This is especially the case for homogeneous immunoassays and surface measurements on tissue sections and membranes, which typically have a high background because of sample autofluorescence. One way of minimizing background in immunoassays involves the use of lanthanide chelate labels. Luminescent lanthanide complexes have exceedingly long-lived luminescence in comparison with conventional fluorophores, enabling the short-lived background interferences to be removed via time-gated acquisition and delivering greater assay sensitivity and a broader dynamic range. This review highlights the potential of using lanthanide luminescence to design sensitive and specific immunoassays. Techniques for labeling biomolecules with lanthanide chelate tags are discussed, with aspects of chelate design. Microtitre plate-based heterogeneous and homogeneous assays are reviewed and compared in terms of sensitivity, dynamic range, and convenience. The great potential of surface-based time-resolved imaging techniques for biomolecules on gels, membranes, and tissue sections using lanthanide tracers in proteomics applications is also emphasized.     

New conjugated polyfluorenes carrying main-chain bipyridyl fragments as efficient fluorescent chemosensors for transition-metal ions

New conjugated fluorescent bipyridyl-containing polyfluorenes are synthesized. They feature fluorescence, can chelate with metal ions, combine solubility in organic solvents with high thermal characteristics, and exhibit high selectivity and sensitivity to terbium ions. Polyfluorenes are promising for use as a basis for the design of efficient fluorescent chemosorbents.     

Metal Ion Chelation Chromatography on Complexon Sorbed Stannic Silicate

Abstract

Stannic silicate has been sorbed with complexones like xylenol orange, eriochrome black T and 1,10-phenanthroline for use as a chelate ion exchanger. The sorption capacity for different metals has been worked out. Kd values have been determined. Xylenol orange was used for the separation of Th(IV) from Cd(II) and Zn(II) and Cu(II) from Cd(II) and Zn(II), 1,10 phenanthroline for the separation of Fe(II) from Fe(III). These separations are based on the stabilities of the various complexes formed by the interaction of metal inns with complexones. By elution of metal ions which forms less stable complexes with the complexones no evidence of complexing agent in the eluate was found.     

High-performance closed-tube PCR based on switchable luminescence probes

We introduce a switchable lanthanide luminescence reporter technology based closed-tube PCR for the detection of specific target DNA sequence. In the switchable lanthanide chelate complementation based reporter technology hybridization of two nonfluorescent oligonucleotide probes to the adjacent positions of the complementary strand leads to the formation of a highly fluorescent lanthanide chelate complex. The complex is self-assembled from a nonfluorescent lanthanide chelate and a light-harvesting antenna ligand when the reporter molecules are brought into close proximity by the oligonucleotide probes. Outstanding signal-to-background discrimination in real-time PCR assay was achieved due to the very low background fluorescence level and high specific signal generation. High sensitivity of the reporter technology allows the detection of a lower concentration of amplified DNA in the real-time PCR, resulting in detection of the target at the earlier amplification cycle compared to commonly used methods.     

Hybridization Assay by Time-Resolved Capillary Gel Electrophoresis with a Lanthanide Chelate

Capillary electrophoresis of crude biological samples with time-resolved fluorescence (TRF) detection enables elimination of interference from organic fluorophores and from light scattering. Because the fluorescence lifetime of biological substances and impurities overlaps the fluorescence lifetime of conventional labeling dyes, TRF detection with conventional organic labeling dyes suffers from background fluorescence. In this work, we synthesized a luminescent lanthanide chelating reagent to covalently bind the 5′-end of DNA through its dichroic functional group while retaining the unique luminescent properties of the lanthanide chelate, i.e. large Stokes shift, sharp emission, and a long luminescence lifetime in the microsecond to millisecond range. The luminescence of lanthanide chelates is inherently quenched by dissociation of the central metals in typical biological buffers containing a strong chelator, for example EDTA or phosphate; the synthesized Eu³⁺ chelate reagent, however, was stable even in EDTA solutions. In addition to stability in biological buffer solution, the synthesized Eu³⁺ chelate reagent enabled direct labeling of single-stranded oligonucleotides, and was used for DNA hybridization assay by time-resolved capillary gel electrophoresis. DNA hybridization assay in fetal bovine serum was also demonstrated.     

The application of trimesic acid to the determination of terbium by spectrofluorimetry

A sensitive, direct spectrofluorimetric method for the trace determination of terbium with use of trimesic acid (TMA) has been developed. The reaction conditions for the fluorescence system of terbium with TMA were studied. The terbium ion can form a stable binary chelate with TMA, having a ratio of 1:1 in the pH range 3.5-6.5. The maximum excitation and emission wavelengths are 260 nm and 545 nm for the terbium chelate, respectively. The reaction is instantaneous and the fluorescence intensity of the terbium chelate remains stable from 0.25 to 4 h. Under the optimal experimental conditions the fluorescence intensity is a linear function of concentration in the range 0.0248-6.35 mug ml(-1) of terbium. The relative standard deviation is still within +/-4% in the presence of one-thousandfold amounts of the other lanthanide ions, and common foreign ions hardly interfere in the determination. The method can be employed for the determination of trace amounts of terbium in rare earth ores or oxides because of its high sensitivity and selectivity with good reproducibility and accuracy.     

Applications of Sensitized Fluorescence in Chemiluminescence: A Review

This paper presents an overview of the applications of sensitized fluorescence in chemiluminescence. The enhancement of fluorescence of lanthanide ions after formation of stable complexes with organic molecules (type A luminescence) or of organic molecules after formation of stable complexes with inorganic ions (type B luminescence) has been extensively applied for the sensitive determination of a wide variety of analytes but not thoroughly investigated for chemiluminescence applications. As chemiluminescent reactions can be used successfully for the excitation of fluorophores, all sensitized fluorescing complexes are expected to be excited by these reactions. The analytical applications of sensitized fluorescence in chemiluminescence are briefly discussed and presented. Suggestions for further work are also included.     

Determination of trace amounts of metals in saline water by energy dispersive XRF using the NaDDTC preconcentration

A simple method for the determination of trace concentrations of metals in saline water is described. The analytical procedure involves the separation of metal ions of Cu, Zn, Hg and Fe by precipitation with diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC). The radioisotope X-ray fluorescence method using Si(Li) detector has been applied for the determination of metal ions closed in the DDTC deposition.     

Time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay for quantitative determination of ampicillin in cow milk samples with different fat contents

In this paper, we have reported an immunoassay with time-resolved revelation system for ampicillin in raw milk samples. Immunological methods appear to be a promising approach in the analysis of β-lactam compounds, because they do not need previous sample pre-treatments. In fact, β-lactam ring is not very stable in extensive sample pre-treatment procedures requested in conventional analytical techniques. Specimens were collected from lactating cows bred in various conditions and assayed for the fat contents. Ampicillin was assayed in samples with different fat concentrations. The assay was performed using ampicillin-specific polyclonal antibody raised in rabbit; the immunogen was synthesized using bovine thyroglobulin conjugated to ampicillin by glutaraldehyde reaction; as fluorescent marker we used goat anti-rabbit IgG conjugated with a chelating molecule complexed with Eu³⁺. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) conjugated with ampicillin was synthesized and used to prepare a solid phase on polystyrene microtiter plates. The use of a lanthanide chelate as label allowed to achieve 1 ng mL⁻¹ sensitivity, which is four times more sensitive than limits requested from European Community. Fat contents did not affect the assay performance.     

Time gating improves sensitivity in energy transfer assays with terbium chelate/dark quencher oligonucleotide probes

Lanthanides are attractive as biolabels because their long luminescence decay rates allow time-gated detection, which separates background scattering and fluorescence from the lanthanide emission. A stable and highly luminescent terbium complex based on a tetraisophthalamide (TIAM) chelate is paired with a polyaromatic-azo dark quencher (referred to as a Black Hole Quencher or BHQ) to prepare a series of 5'TIAM(Tb)/3'BHQ dual-labeled oligonucleotide probes with no secondary structure. Luminescence quenching efficiency within terbium/BHQ probes is very dependent on the terbium-BHQ distance. In an intact probe, the average terbium-BHQ distance is short, and Tb --> BHQ energy transfer is efficient, decreasing both the terbium emission intensity and lifetime. Upon hybridization or nuclease digestion, which spatially separate the Tb and BHQ moieties, the Tb luminescence intensity and lifetime increase. As a result, time-gated detection increases the emission intensity ratio of the unquenched probe/quenched probe due to the shorter lifetime of the quenched species. A 40-mer probe that has a 3-fold increase in steady-state luminescence upon digestion has a 50-fold increase when gated detection is used. This study demonstrates that time gating with lanthanide/dark quencher probes in energy transfer assays is an effective means of improving sensitivity.     

Quantitative detection of well-based DNA array using switchable lanthanide luminescence

In this report a novel wash-free method for multiplexed DNA detection is demonstrated employing target specific probe pairs and switchable lanthanide luminescence technology on a solid-phase array. Four oligonucleotide capture probes, conjugated at 3′ to non-luminescent lanthanide ion carrier chelate, were immobilized as a small array on the bottom of a microtiter plate well onto which a mix of corresponding detection probes, conjugated at 5′ to a light absorbing antenna ligand, were added. In the presence of complementary target nucleic acid both the spotted capture probe and the liquid-phase detection probe hybridize adjacently on the target. Consequently the two non-luminescent label molecules self-assemble and form a luminescent mixed lanthanide chelate complex. Lanthanide luminescence is thereafter measured without a wash step from the spots by scanning in time-resolved mode. The homogeneous solid-phase array-based method resulted in quantitative detection of synthetic target oligonucleotides with 0.32 nM and 0.60 nM detection limits in a single target and multiplexed assay, respectively, corresponding to 3× SD of the background. Also qualitative detection of PCR-amplified target from Escherichia coli is described.     

Quantitation of plasma angiotensin II in healthy Chinese subjects by a validated liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method

Quantitation of plasma angiotensin (Ang) II, the active mediator of the renin–angiotensin system, is challenging owing to its low physiological concentration. We report a validated liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LCMS) method to overcome this challenge. Ang II was extracted from EDTA plasma by an offline solid-phase extraction procedure with a Waters MAX μElution plate. LCMS quantitation was performed on the Waters TQS system, monitoring the 3+ ions of the peptide. The analytical performance of the LCMS method was validated. The stability of Ang II was studied with or without the presence of a protease inhibitor. Local reference intervals were established from 143 healthy normotensive subjects (57% female, 21–60 years old). The Ang II LCMS method had a measurable range of 3.3–700 pmol/L. The between-batch precision coefficient of variation was <7% over Ang II concentrations of 8.6–110 pmol/L. No significant matrix interference and carryover were observed. There was no significant difference in Ang II concentration in EDTA blood and plasma for at least 2h and 1 h at room temperature, respectively. Ang II was stable for at least 1 year when stored at −80°C, with or without the protease inhibitor. Age-dependent Ang II reference intervals were established: 4.4–17.7 pmol/L (21–30 years) and 3.9–12.8 pmol/L (31–60 years). The present LCMS method is suitable for quantitation of plasma Ang II to study the renin-angiotensin system.     

Flipping the light switch 'on'--the design of sensor molecules that show cation-induced fluorescence enhancement with heavy and transition metal ions

Real-time and real-space analysis of heavy and transition metal ions employing fluorescent sensor molecules has received much attention over the past few years. Since many of these cations possess intrinsic properties that usually quench the fluorescence of organic dye molecules, a lot of research has lately been devoted to designing fluorescent probes that show complexation-induced fluorescence enhancement. Such an analytical reaction would be highly desirable in terms of increased sensitivity and selectivity. However, in this particular field of sensor research, the photophysical and photochemical mechanisms involved as well as the chemical constitutions of the sensor molecules employed are rather diverse and up to now, very few attempts have been made to establish some general concepts for rational probe design. By analyzing various systems published by other researchers as well as own work, this contribution aims at an elucidation of some of the underlying principles of heavy and transition metal ion-enhanced emission.     

Fluorescence chemical sensor based on water‐soluble poly(p‐phenylene ethynylene)–graphene oxide composite for Cu2+

A chemical sensor for metal ions was fabricated based on a water‐soluble conjugated polymer–graphene oxide (GO) composite. Water‐soluble poly(p‐phenylene ethynylene) (PPE) with sulfonic acid side chain groups was used to prepare a very stable water‐soluble PPE–GO composite with strong π–π interactions in water. The relationship between the optical properties and metal ion sensing capability of the PPE–GO composite in aqueous solution was investigated. Addition of metal ions enhanced the fluorescence intensity of the composite, and, in particular, the composite enabled the fluorescence detection of Cu²⁺ in aqueous solutions with high selectivity and sensitivity. Therefore, this conjugated polymer–GO composite sensor system was found to be an effective turn‐on type chemical sensor for metal ions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A new ultrafast and high-throughput mass spectrometric approach for the therapeutic drug monitoring of the multi-targeted anti-folate pemetrexed in plasma from lung cancer patients

An analytical assay has been developed and validated for ultrafast and high-throughput mass spectrometric determination of pemetrexed concentrations in plasma using matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization–triple quadrupole–tandem mass spectrometry. Patient plasma samples spiked with the internal standard methotrexate were measured by multiple reaction monitoring. The detection limit was 0.4 fmol/μL, lower limit of quantification was 0.9 fmol/μL, and upper limit of quantification was 60 fmol/μL, respectively. Overall observed pemetrexed concentrations in patient samples ranged between 8.7 (1.4) and 142.7 (20.3)?pmol/μL (SD). The newly developed mass spectrometric assay is applicable for (routine) therapeutic drug monitoring of pemetrexed concentrations in plasma from non-small cell lung cancer patients.     

Fluorescent Probes for Pd2+ Detection by Allylidene–Hydrazone Ligands with Excellent Selectivity and Large Fluorescence Enhancement

Because palladium is widely used in various catalysts and converters, which results in a high level of contamination of water systems and the soil by residual palladium, there is an urgent need for Pd²⁺‐sensitive and ‐selective probes. Based on the special affinity of Pd²⁺ to conjugated double‐bond ligands, two fluorescence probes ( RPd2 and RPd3 ) that contain conjugated allylidene‐hydrazone ligands that link to colorless rhodamine‐spirolactam have been developed. The results show that conjugated allylidene‐hydrazones have a much better affinity toward Pd²⁺, and consequently provide the probes with more acute color change and fluorescence enhancement (≈170‐fold), and better selectivity over other metal ions (especially platinum‐group elements, or PGEs) than the unconjugated allyl‐hydrazine. With richer electron density and a more suitable stereo effect in the allylidene‐hydrazone group, RPd2 displays the best specificity toward Pd²⁺ and affords convenient detection by the naked eye. Its potential application for Pd²⁺‐contaminated water and soil‐sample analysis is revealed by proof‐of‐concept experiments.     

Multiplex immunoassays on size-categorized individual beads using time-resolved fluorescence

Miniaturized multiplex immunoassays were studied on individual beads to detect analytes in the same reaction mixture. With this approach hands-on time, cost, and amount of reagents as well as waste produced in the assays were reduced. Particles were categorized according to size for immunoassays of prostate specific antigen (PSA) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) markers. Additionally, free and dual PSA assays were carried out on a single bead. The analyte concentration was detected directly on the surface of the beads using stable, intrinsically fluorescent europium and terbium chelates, and time-resolved fluorometry. Less than 0.4 ng ml⁻¹ PSA (corresponding to ca. 10 amol) was detected in free, dual and multiplex PSA assays and 0.1 and 2.4 ng ml⁻¹ of myoglobin (Mb) and creatine kinase MB (CK-MB), respectively, were monitored in the multiplex AMI marker assay. The effect of bead size and material on free PSA detection was also investigated. The beads were detected three times under different conditions; in liquid, after drying and after dissociating europium ions from the chelate into the DELFIA^® fluorescence enhancement solution. The same detection sensitivity was found for the dissociative and non-dissociative methods indicating that the current labeling technology for the surface detection is comparable to the commercial DELFIA system.     

Fluorescence Sensitization of Aqueous Terbium and Europium Ions Without Aromatic Donors or Synergistic Agents

Abstract

EDTA and DTPA complexes of terbium and europium are excited at wavelengths below 250 nm. producing the typical lanthanide emission through energy transfer from the complex to the coordinated metal. This allows determination of these rare earth ions in water without solvent extraction, the use of synergistic agents, or aromatic sensitizers. Terbium-EDTA has the most efficient energy transfer, 31%, giving a 165-fold emission enhancement and a limit of detection of 6 × 10^?7 M. Calibration curves are linear over a concentration range spanning three orders of magnitude. The characteristic lanthanide ion emission is obtained in all cases, but the excitation of the complexes is pH dependent, showing intensity increases up to pH 12. Mild interference by alkali and alkaline earth metals was overcome by increasing the ligand concentration, but transition metal interference was more severe. Only minor enhancement was observed at higher ligand/metal ratios.     

新型磁性Fe3O4/EDTA复合纳米粒子的制备及性能研究

采用氨羧络合剂EDTA对纳米磁性Fe3O4粒子进行表面改性,制备出能够螯合金属离子和放射性核素离子的磁性Fe3O4/EDTA复合纳米粒子.用X射线衍射、红外光谱、透射电子显微镜、光电子能谱、振动样品磁强计和原子吸收光谱对复合粒子进行了表观形貌、结构、磁学及螯合性能表征.结果表明,纳米磁性Fe3O4和EDTA之间能够有效地以化学键合方式进行复合.改性后,Fe3O4/EDTA纳米复合粒子可以对包括放射性金属离子在内的多种金属离子具有良好的络合效果.