Development of an enzyme-linked-receptor assay based on Syrian hamster β2-adrenergic receptor for detection of β-agonists

β-Adrenergic agonists (β-agonists) are illegally used in animal husbandry, threatening the health of consumers. To realize multianalyte detection of β-agonists, a β2-adrenergic receptor (β2-AR) was cloned from Syrian hamster lung and heterogeneously expressed by Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells. The recombinant β2-AR was purified from intracellular soluble proteins of infected Sf9 cells, and was utilized to establish an enzyme-linked-receptor assay (ELRA) to detect a group of β-agonists simultaneously. This assay was based on direct competitive inhibition of binding of horseradish peroxidase-labeled ractopamine to the immobilized β2-AR proteins by β-agonists. The IC₅₀ and limit of detection values for ractopamine were 30.38 μg L⁻¹ and 5.20 μg L⁻¹, respectively. Clenbuterol and salbutamol showed 87.7% and 58.5% cross-reactivities with ractopamine, respectively. This assay is simple, rapid, and environmentally friendly, showing a potential application in the screening of β-agonists in animal feeds.