Modelling toxin effects on protein biosynthesis in eukaryotic cells

We present a rather generic model for toxin (ricin) inhibition of protein biosynthesis in eukaryotic cells. We also study reduction of the ricin toxic effects with application of antibodies against the RTB subunit of ricin molecules. Both species initially are delivered extracellularly. The model accounts for the pinocytotic and receptor-mediated toxin endocytosis and the intact toxin exocytotic removal out of the cell. The model also includes the lysosomal toxin destruction, the intact toxin motion to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) for separation of its molecules into the RTA and RTB subunits, and the RTA chain translocation into the cytosol. In the cytosol, one portion of the RTA undergoes degradation via the ERAD. The other its portion can inactivate ribosomes at a large rate. The model is based on a system of deterministic ODEs. The influence of the kinetic parameters on the protein concentration and antibody protection factor is studied in detail.     

蓖麻毒素的间接酶联免疫快速检测

建立了间接酶联免疫法快速检测蓖麻毒素的方法。方法的线性范围在0.08~1.25 mg/L之间,相关系数r=0.992 3,检出限为0.02 mg/L。将该法用于检测实际水样、土壤、奶粉和血液蓖麻毒素加标样品,回收率在60%~98%范围。该方法简单、快速、假阳性率低,非常适合蓖麻毒素的快速筛选、定性和半定量分析。     

蓖麻毒蛋白的提取及分析

本文报道了蓖麻毒蛋白的提取和分析,采用琼脂糖（Sepharose 4B)分离和纯化,研究了高效液相色谱法同时测定蓖麻毒蛋白和蓖麻碱,结果 令人满意。     

双抗体夹心酶联免疫检测法测定蓖麻毒素

建立了双抗体夹心酶联免疫法检测蓖麻毒素的方法。优化了最佳蓖麻毒素多克隆抗体包被浓度和包被方法、蓖麻毒素单克隆抗体工作浓度、酶标记二抗体工作浓度和显色时间等实验条件。方法的线性范围在1.2~10.0μg/L之间,线性回归方程y=0.05x 0.42,相关系数为0.9962,检出限为0.2μg/L。将该方法用于检测实际水样蓖麻毒素加标样品,回收率为91.7%~104.0%;检测实际土壤加标样品,回收率为83.3%~98.0%;检测奶粉加标样品,回收率为83.3%~94.0%;检测实际血液加标样品,回收率为75.0%~82.0%。     

Synthesis,characterization and magnetic properties of MFe2O4 (M=Co,Mg, Mn,Ni) nanoparticles using ricin oil as capping agent

We focused on obtaining MFe₂O₄ nanoparticles using ricin oil solution as surfactant and on their structural characterization and magnetic properties. The annealed samples at 500 °C in air for 6 h were analyzed for the crystal phase identification by powder X-ray diffraction using CuKα radiation. The particle size, the chemical composition and the morphology of the calcinated powders were characterized by scanning electron microscopy. All sintered samples contain only one phase, which has a cubic structure with crystallite sizes of 12–21 nm. From the infrared spectra of all samples were observed two strong bands around 600 and 400 cm⁻¹, which correspond to the intrinsic lattice vibrations of octahedral and tetrahedral sites of the spinel structure, respectively, and characteristic vibration for capping agent. The magnetic properties of fine powders were investigated at room temperature by using a vibrating sample magnetometer. The room temperature M–H hysteresis loops show ferromagnetic behavior of the calcined samples, with specific saturation magnetization (M_s) values ranging between 11 and 53 emu/g.     

The DNA aptamers that specifically recognize ricin toxin are selected by two in vitro selection methods

Aptamers which specifically recognize cytotoxin ricin were successfully selected using the two different in vitro selection methods. One selection method was used to isolate aptamers by affinity chromatography. Another selection method, named CE-SELEX, was carried out using CE as a separation approach. The high separation efficiency of CE evidently improved the rate of enrichment and obviously shortened the selection rounds, with near 87.2% binding just after the fourth round of selection. The aptamers A3, C1, and C5, derived from the two selection methods, were found to possess high affinity and specificity for ricin with the Kd values in the low nanomolar range, and did not recognize abrin toxin similar to ricin in the structures and properties, or BSA. Among the aptamers selected, A3 isolated by affinity chromatography shared extensive sequence similarity with C1 and C5 derived from CE-SELEX. They differed by only one base from each other. Their stable secondary structures predicted also had very similar structure motifs, and all folded a long and internal loop-embedded loop stem structure by base pairing. The ELISA and dot-blot analysis also proved that the selected DNA aptamers had the high specificity to ricin toxin.     

Determination of ricin by nano liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry after extraction using lactose-immobilized monolithic silica spin column

Ricin is a glycosylated proteinous toxin that is registered as toxic substance by Chemical Weapons convention. Current detection methods can result in false negatives and/or positives, and their criteria are not based on the identification of the protein amino acid sequences. In this study, lactose-immobilized monolithic silica extraction followed by tryptic digestion and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) was developed as a method for rapid and accurate determination of ricin. Lactose, which was immobilized on monolithic silica, was used as a capture ligand for ricin extraction from the sample solution, and the silica was supported in a disk-packed spin column. Recovery of ricin was more than 40%. After extraction, the extract was digested with trypsin and analyzed by LC/MS. The accurate masses of molecular ions and MS/MS spectra of the separated peptide peaks were measured by Fourier transform-MS and linear iontrap-MS, respectively. Six peptides, which were derived from the ricin A-(m/z 537.8, 448.8 and 586.8) and B-chains (m/z 701.3, 647.8 and 616.8), were chosen as marker peptides for the identification of ricin. Among these marker peptides, two peptides were ricin-specific. This method was applied to the determination of ricin from crude samples. The monolithic silica extraction removed most contaminant peaks from the total ion chromatogram of the sample, and the six marker peptides were clearly detected by LC/MS. It takes about 5 h for detection and identification of more than 8 ng/ml of ricin through the whole handling, and this procedure will be able to deal with the terrorism using chemical weapon.     

3种酶联免疫分析法在蓖麻毒素定量测定中的比较

建立了蓖麻毒素的3种酶联免疫定量分析法,即光吸收、荧光和化学发光免疫分析法,并系统优化了各项实验条件。结果显示:对于化学发光检测法,当酶标抗体HRP-4C13稀释倍数为1∶8000时可获得最佳的信噪比,且酶与底物反应3 min后信号趋于稳定。随后在各自优化的条件下将3种方法用于毒素的检测。比较结果表明:化学发光酶联免疫分析法除具有线性范围宽(0.02～5.5μg/L,r2=0.999)、灵敏度高(检出限为5 ng/L)的特点外,还具有简单、快速、体系稳定性好等优点。将本方法用于不同实际样品基质,如饮用水、碳酸饮料、奶粉、咖啡和血清中添加的蓖麻毒素的检测,其检出限为0.005～0.08μg/L,回收率为89.6%～108.8%,适于污染及中毒样品中痕量蓖麻毒素的定量分析。     

一种基于肽质量指纹谱技术鉴定蓖麻毒素的新方法

应用基质辅助激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱(MALD I-TOF/MS)法实现了对蓖麻毒素(R ic in)的鉴定。测定蓖麻毒素的分子量为62925Da,实现了蓖麻粗毒的凝胶电泳分离,并通过胶内酶切获得了蓖麻毒素的肽质量指纹谱(PMF);经过数据库检索,在输入检索的22条肽段中有17条获得了匹配。检索结果显示,利用生物质谱技术是鉴定蓖麻毒素的最有效的新方法之一。     

Adsorptive Stripping Voltammetric Determination of Trace Level Ricin in Castor Seeds Using a Boron‐doped Diamond Electrode

Ricin, (Ricinus communis agglutinin, RCA) is one of the most poisonous of naturally occurring substances and has great potential for bioterrorism because no antidote exists. Fast detection at low concentrations is a challenge, and vital to the development of proper countermeasures. In this study, a square wave adsorptive stripping voltammetric (SWAdSV) method for determining RCA using a cathodically polarized boron‐doped diamond (BDD) electrode is presented. An irreversible electrochemical RCA oxidation peak was identified on the BDD electrode by different voltammetric techniques using both direct and adsorptive stripping modes. An adsorption‐controlled (slope log Ip vs log v of 0.80) pH‐dependent process was observed. For values of 1.0≤pH≤9.0, the numbers of protons and electrons associated with the oxidation reaction were estimated (ca. 1.0) by differential pulse voltammetry. The RCA oxidation step may correspond to the oxidation of tryptophan amino acid residues, and occurs in a complex mechanism. The excellent analytical performance of the cathodically polarized BDD electrode in combination with the stripping mode ramp was verified with RCA by using a short deposition time in an open circuit potential (120 s). Under optimized analysis conditions, a linear response in the range of (3.3–94.0)×10⁻⁹ mol L⁻¹ (r²=0.9944) and a limit of detection of 6.2×10⁻¹⁰ mol L⁻¹ were estimated. This LOD is lower than several methods found in the literature. For example, it is 168 times lower than that obtained by using square wave voltammetric with a glassy carbon electrode. Moreover, an even lower LOD might be achieved by using the SWAdSV method with a higher pre‐concentration time. In addition, trace levels of RCA were successfully determined in different castor seed cultivars with an overall average recovery from 99.2±1.6 % for the three different RCA‐A concentration levels. The high accuracy of the analytical data highlights the use of the proposed method for determining RCA in other samples.