Production and characterization of antibody against aflatoxin Q1

Antibodies against aflatoxin Q1 (AFQ1) were obtained from rabbits after immunization of either AFQ1-hemisuccinate or AFQ2a conjugated to bovine serum albumin. Both radioimmunoassay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assaY (ELISA) were used for the determination of antibody titers and specificities. Antibodies obtained from rabbits after immunization with AFQ1-hemisuccinate-bovine serum albumin had the highest affinity to aflatoxin B1, whereas antibodies obtained from rabbits after immunization with AFQ2a-bovine serum albumin bound most effectively with AFQ2a. AFQ2a antibody was selected for the subsequent direct and indirect ELISA for the detection of AFQ1 in biological fluids. When AFQ2a-peroxidase and AFQ2a antibody were used, direct ELISA was able to detect as low as 2 ppb (ng/ml) of AFQ1 spiked in the urine samples that had been subjected to a Sep-Pak cleanup treatment. In indirect ELISA in which the antigen (AFQ2a-bovine serum albumin) was coated to the solid phase followed by reaction with rabbit antibody and goat anti-rabbit immunoglobulin G-peroxidase conjugate, 50-fold less antibody was used without sacrificing sensitivity. Recoveries of AFQ1 added to urine samples (2 to 40 ppb) were 46.3 to 73% and 65.8 to 85.8% for direct and indirect ELISA, respectively.     

Production of antibody against aflatoxin B1.

Antibody against aflatoxin B1 was obtained after one multiple-site injection of bovine serum albumin-aflatoxin B1 conjugate into rabbits. The antibody has greatest binding efficiency for aflatoxin B1, less efficiency for B2, G1, and Q1, and least for aflatoxicol, G2, and M1. Sterigmatocystin, coumarin, and 4-hydroxycoumarin did not give a cross-reaction with the antibody. The sensitivity of the binding assay for detection of aflatoxin B1 is in the range of 0.2 to 2.0 ng per 0.5-ml sample. Detailed methods for the preparation of the conjugate, production of immune serum, and methods for antibody titer determination are described.     

Production and characterization of monoclonal antibodies against aflatoxin M1.

By using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, four monoclonal antibodies were selected after fusion of mouse P3-NS1-Ag4-1 myeloma cells with spleen cells isolated from BALB/c mice that had been immunized with aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) conjugated to bovine serum albumin. Two of these antibodies were found to be specific for AFM1 and were designated AMW-1 and AMW-4. The specificities of AMW-1, which had higher affinity to AFM1, were determined by a competitive direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with peroxidase-AFM1 as the marker. The relative cross-reactivity of each toxin (relative to AFM1) with AMW-1, as determined by the amount of aflatoxin necessary to cause 50% inhibition of enzyme activity, was 12, greater than 40, 12, and greater than 40 for B1, B2, G1, and G2, respectively.     

Production and characterization of antibody against diacetoxyscirpenol.

Antibodies against diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS) were obtained from rabbits after immunizing them with hemisuccinate or hemiglutarate derivatives of DAS conjugated to bovine serum albumin (BSA). DAS-hemiglutarate-BSA was found to be a much better immunogen than DAS-hemisuccinate-BSA. Competitive radioimmunoassay revealed that the antisera obtained from rabbits after immunization with DAS-hemiglutarate-BSA showed high specificity toward DAS. The concentrations causing 50% displacement of radioactive DAS by unlabeled DAS, 4-monoacetoxyscirpenol (MAS), and 15-MAS were found to be 1.5, 130, and 300 ng per assay, respectively. Thus, the cross-reactivities for 4-MAS and 15-MAS are ca. 87 and 300 times weaker than that of DAS. Practically no cross-reaction (less than 5% displacement) was observed when deoxynivalenol, T-2 toxin, deoxyverrucarol, and scirpentriol were tested at a concentration of 2,000 ng/ml.     

Production and characterization of antibody against deoxyverrucarol.

Immunization of rabbits with deoxyverrucarol (DOVE) conjugated to bovine serum albumin resulted in antibodies bound with either tritiated DOVE or diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), but not with T-2 toxin. The affinity of antibodies with DOVE was found to be much higher than with DAS. When [3H] DOVE was used as a marking ligand in the competitive radioimmunoassay, the concentrations causing 50% inhibition of binding radioactivities by unlabeled DOVE, verrucarol, verrucarin A, and 4-monoacetoxyscirpenol were found to be 0.32, 1,070, 9,500, and 10,000 ng per assay, respectively. T-2 toxin, 15-monoacetoxyscirpenol, and deoxynivalenol gave less than 20% inhibition at 10 micrograms per assay. However, when [3H] DAS was used as the marking ligand, the concentrations causing 50% inhibition by DOVE, DAS, and verrucarol were found to be in the 50 to 60 ng per assay range. The antibodies are thus highly specific to DOVE rather than a common trichothecene backbone. The possible use of this antiserum for assay of macrocyclic trichothecenes is discussed.     

Production of ultrasensitive antibodies against aflatoxin B1

AIMS: To produce specific antibodies against the haptenic fungal toxin aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and apply these antibodies in immunochemical assays for aflatoxins. METHODS AND RESULTS: Rabbits were immunized using an AFB1-bovine serum albumin conjugate and serum titres determined by double-antibody enzyme immunoassay. High titres of antibodies with very high affinity for AFB1 were obtained 15 and 4 weeks after the initial immunization and the first booster immunization respectively. The antibodies were employed in enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and immunoaffinity chromatography (IAC) methods for aflatoxins. With a detection limit of 15.8 pg ml(-1) for AFB1, the EIA employing these antibodies is the most sensitive test for AFB1 described so far. In IAC columns, these antibodies provided high binding capacity for all major aflatoxins, including AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2. CONCLUSION: The antibodies described here are useful for the analysis of trace levels of aflatoxins. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Polyclonal antibody-based EIA and IAC methods for aflatoxin analysis offer a suitable alternative to the more expensive monoclonal antibody-based methods.     

Comparison of antibody production against aflatoxin B1 in goats and rabbits.

Bacteria were found that are capable of producing good yields of β-amylase in unrefined media. The culture filtrates are free of α-amylase and isoamylase.     

Production and characterization of monoclonal antibodies for aflatoxin B1

Hybridomas that secreted antibodies for aflatoxin B1 were selected using two immunization protocols referred to as A and B. Protocol A is a standard immunization method and resulted in the selection of only two clones that produced monoclonal antibodies against aflatoxin B1. In protocol B a unique immunization schedule which resulted in the generation of 10 hybridomas is described. Of the 10, one antibody was highly specific to B1, four antibodies reacted equally strongly with B1, G1 and weakly with B2. Another four reacted strongly with B1 and weakly with B2 and G1. One clone reacted equally strongly with B1, G1 and B2. Interestingly all the 10 antibodies showed little or no cross-reaction with G2.     

Production and characterization of aflatoxin B2a antiserum.

The specificity and sensitivity of antiserum elicited from rabbits against aflatoxin B2a-bovine serum albumin conjugates were characterized with a radioimmunoassay (RIA) and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Aflatoxin B1 was first converted to aflatoxin B2a and then conjugated to bovine serum albumin and horseradish peroxidase by a reductive alkylation method. The antiserum was developed in New Zealand white rabbits by multiple-site injection with the aflatoxin B2a-bovine serum albumin conjugate. Antibody titers were determined by both RIA and ELISA. Competitive RIAs with various aflatoxin analogs indicated that the antiserum was most reactive with aflatoxin B1 and slightly cross-reactive with aflatoxins B2a, B2, and M1. Competitive ELISAs showed the antiserum to be equally specific for aflatoxins B2a and B12 and less reactive with aflatoxins B2 and M1. The relative sensitivities of RIA and ELISA for aflatoxin B1 quantitation were 100 and 10 pg per assay, respectively.     

Quantitation of aflatoxin B1 and aflatoxin B1 antibody by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent microassay.

A specific microtest plate enzyme immunoassay has been developed for the rapid quantitation of aflatoxin B1 at levels as low as 25 pg per assay. Multiple-site injection of rabbits with an aflatoxin B1 carboxymethyloxime-bovine serum albumin conjugate was used for the production of hyperimmune sera. Dilutions of the purified antibody were air dried onto microplates previously treated with bovine serum albumin and glutaraldehyde and then incubated with an aflatoxin B1 carboxymethyloxime-horseradish peroxidase conjugate. The amount of enzyme bound to antibody was determined by monitoring the change in absorbance at 414 nm after the addition of a substrate solution consisting of hydrogen peroxide and 2,2'-azino-di-3-ethyl-benzthiazoline-6-sulfonate. Antibody titers determined in this manner closely correlated with those determined by radioimmunoassay. Competition assays as performed by incubation of different aflatoxin analogs with the peroxidase conjugate showed that aflatoxins B1 and B2 and aflatoxicol caused the most inhibition of conjugate binding to antibody. Aflatoxins G1 and G2 inhibited the conjugate binding to a lesser degree, whereas aflatoxins M1 and B2a had no effect of the assay.     

Production and characterization of a generic antibody against group A trichothecenes

An antibody against group A trichothecenes was produced after immunization of rabbits with an immunogen prepared by conjugation of T-2 toxin to bovine albumin at the C-8 position. T-2 toxin was first converted to 3-acetylneosolaniol (3-Ac-NEOS) and then to its hemisuccinate (HS) before conjugation to the protein. The rabbits showed a quick immune response after immunization of the new conjugate. The antibody produced bound with tritiated T-2 toxin, T-2 tetraol tetraacetate, and diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS) and showed good cross-reactivities with most of the group A trichothecenes. The concentrations causing 50% inhibition of binding of 3H-T-2 toxin to the new antibody by unlabeled T-2, acetyl-T-2, 3'-OH-T-2, DAS, 3-Ac-NEOS-HS, 3'-OH-Ac-T-2, T-2 tetraol tetraacetate, iso-T-2, 3-Ac-NEOS, Ac-DAS, and 3,4,15-triacetyl-7-deoxynivalenol were found to be 0.34, 0.34, 0.6, 2.5, 4, 10, 18, 24, 100, 200, and 300 ng/assay, respectively; for HT-2, T-2 triol, and T-2 tetraol, the concentration was greater than 1000 ng/assay. Nivalenol, deoxynivalenol (DON), 15-acetyl-DON, and triacetyl-DON, did not inhibit the binding at 1000 ng/assay. The practical application of using this new antibody for radioimmunoassay (RIA) of trichothecene was tested by spiking T-2 toxin to corn. T-2 toxin was then extracted with acetone, subjected to a simple Sep-Pak C-18 reversed-phase treatment, and analyzed by RIA. The overall recovery for 18 samples spiked with 10 to 50 ppb of T-2 toxin was 94.22%.     

Production of antibody against ochratoxin A.

Antibody against ochratoxin A was obtained after repeated injection of different protein-ochratoxin A conjugates to rabbits. Among many protein-ochratoxin conjugates tested, bovine serum albumin-ochratoxin A was found to be the best antigen. The antibody is specific for ochratoxins A, C, and T, but is not specific for ochratoxins B, alpha, and other coumarin derivatives. The sensitivity for ochratoxin A detection using a binding assay is in the range of 0.5 to 10 ng/0.5-ml sample. Detailed methods for the preparation of protein-ochratoxin conjugates, preparation of immune serum, and methods for antibody titers are described.     

Production of antibody against T-2 toxin.

Antibody against T-2 toxin was obtained after immunization of rabbits with bovine serum albumin-T-2 hemisuccinate conjugate. The antibody had greatest binding efficiency for T-2 toxin, less efficiency for HT-2, and least for T-2 triol. Cross-reaction of antibody with neosolaniol, T-2 tetraol, and 8-acetyl-neosolaniol was very weak. Diacetoxyscirpenol, trichodermin, vomitoxin, and verrucarin A essentially gave no cross-reaction with the antibody. The sensitivity of the binding assay for T-2 toxin detection was in the range of 1 to 20 ng per assay. Detailed methods for the preparation of the conjugate and the production of immune serum and methods for antibody determination are described.     

Production and characterization of antibodies against microcystins.

Antibodies against a microcystin (MCYST) leucine-arginine variant (MCYST-LR) were demonstrated 4 weeks after immunization of rabbits with either MCYST-LR-polylysine- or MCYST-LR-ethylenediamine-modified bovine serum albumin. A radioimmunoassay (RIA), a direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and an indirect competitive ELISA were developed for characterization of the antibodies. Indirect ELISA and RIA revealed that MCYST-LR-ethylenediamine-bovine serum albumin was a better immunogen. Competitive RIA and direct ELISA revealed that the antibodies had good cross-reactivities with an MCYST-arginine-arginine variant (MCYST-RR), MCYST-LR, an MCYST-tyrosine-arginine variant (MCYST-YR), and nodularin (NODLN); but they had lower reactivities with variants MCYST-leucine-tyrosine (MCYST-LY) and MCYST-leucine-alanine (MCYST-LA). The antibodies did not cross-react with ozonolyzed MCYST-LR. The concentrations causing 50% inhibition of binding of reduced MCYST-LR to the antibodies by MCYST-RR, MCYST-LR, MCYST-YR, NODLN, MCYST-LA, and MCYST-LY in the RIA were 43, 105, 112, 503, 671, and 1,920 ng/ml, respectively. The concentrations causing 50% inhibition of binding of MCYST-LR-horseradish peroxidase to the antibodies by MCYST-RR, MCYST-LR, MCYST-YR, NODLN, MCYST-LY, and MCYST-LA in the ELISA were 1.75, 2.2, 3.4, 4.6, 50, and 114 ng/ml, respectively.     

Production and characterization of a recombinant single-chain antibody against Hantaan virus envelop glycoprotein

Hantaan virus (HTNV) is the type of Hantavirus causing hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, for which no specific therapeutics are available so far. Cell type-specific internalizing antibodies can be used to deliver therapeutics intracellularly to target cell and thus, have potential application in anti-HTNV infection. To achieve intracellular delivery of therapeutics, it is necessary to obtain antibodies that demonstrate sufficient cell type-specific binding, internalizing, and desired cellular trafficking. Here, we describe the prokaryotic expression, affinity purification, and functional testing of a single-chain Fv antibody fragment (scFv) against HTNV envelop glycoprotein (GP), an HTNV-specific antigen normally located on the membranes of HTNV-infected cells. This HTNV GP-targeting antibody, scFv3G1, was produced in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli cells as a soluble protein and was purified by immobilized metal affinity chromatography. The purified scFv possessed a high specific antigen-binding activity to HTNV GP and HTNV-infected Vero E6 cells and could be internalized into HTNV-infected cells probably through the clathrin-dependent endocytosis pathways similar to that observed with transferrin. Our results showed that the E. coli-produced scFv had potential applications in targeted and intracellular delivery of therapeutics against HTNV infections.     

Production and characterization of a monoclonal antibody against GPR40 (FFAR1; free fatty acid receptor 1)

GPR40 is G protein-coupled receptor whose endogenous ligands have recently been identified as free fatty acids (FFAs), and it has been implicated to play an important role in FFA-mediated enhancement of glucose-stimulated insulin release. We have developed a monoclonal antibody against the extracellular domain of GPR40. Specificity of the antibody was demonstrated by immunoprecipitation and cell surface staining using GPR40-transfected cells. GPR40 immunoreactivity was highly abundant in mouse pancreatic β-cells and splenocytes, THP-1 cells, and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The anti-GPR40 monoclonal antibody should prove valuable for further studying the function of this nutrient sensing receptor.     

Reactivity of aflatoxin B2a antibody with aflatoxin B1-modified DNA and related metabolites.

Aflatoxin B2a (AFB2a) antiserum has been previously used in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the quantitation of AFB1 and AFB2a. The present investigation examined the reactivity of the antiserum toward those adducts and metabolites of AFB1 believed to play a major role in aflatoxicosis and carcinogenesis. 2,3-Dihydro-2-(N7-guanyl)-3-hydroxyaflatoxin B1 (AFB1-N7-Gua), the putative 2,3-(N5-formyl-2-2', 5',6'-triamino-4-oxo-N5-pyrimidyl)-3-hydroxyaflatoxin B1 (AFB1-FAPyr), 2,3-dihydro-2,3-dihydroxyaflatoxin B1 (AFB1-diol), AFB1-N7-Gua-modified DNA, and AFB1-FAPyr-modified DNA were prepared by in vitro incubation or chemical methods and subjected to competitive AFB2a ELISA. The antiserum showed significant reactivity with all five compounds, indicating that it had a high degree of specificity for both the cyclopentenone and the methoxy group of the parent aflatoxin molecule. Sensitivity for AFB-N7-Gua-modified DNA, AFB1-FAPyr-modified DNA, and AFB1-diol by the ELISA method was 0.1 pmol per assay. To test the applicability of immunological detection of covalent binding of AFB1 to DNA, the ELISA was compared with a conventional radioisotopic assay in two in vitro studies. The results showed that estimates of the kinetics and substrate dependence of covalent binding to calf thymus DNA in rat microsomal incubation mixtures by both methods were comparable. The broad specificity AFB2a antibody might be of considerable value in the detection of AFB1 macromolecular adducts and related metabolites in epidemiological investigations or in the diagnosis of aflatoxicosis.     

Production and characterization of a monoclonal antibody to biotin.

Monoclonal antibodies to biotin have been prepared by using biotin linked to keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH) as the antigen. Spleen cells obtained from mice immunized with biotin-KLH were fused with the myeloma cell line NS-1. The resulting hybridomas were screened for the production of antibodies to biotin using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Clones producing antibodies to biotin were isolated by limiting dilution methods. Four cell lines, each derived originally from a different fusion, were chosen for the production of monoclonal antibodies. The monoclonal antibodies obtained have been characterized with respect to their ability to interact with biotin, biotin-bovine serum albumin, biotin-KLH and biocytin as well as to inhibit biotin-dependent enzymes. They have been used to produce cellular biotin deficiency in vitro for studies of biotin function.     

Production and characterization of a monoclonal antibody against putative T lymphocytes of Catla catla

Catla catla is the fastest growing Indian major carp and one of the major aquaculture species in South Asia. A monoclonal antibody (MAb) designated B8 MAb was produced against nylon wool-enriched thymus mononuclear cells of C. catla. This MAb did not show reactivity with macrophage and epithelial cell lines derived from catla thymus in cellular ELISA. In flow cytometric analysis of gated lymphocytes, the percentage of B8 positive (B8+) cells in thymus (n?=?10, 500?C600?g) was determined to be 77.7?%. Similarly, the percentage of B8+ cells in kidney, spleen and blood (n?=?5) was 15.08, 1.1 and 32.17?%, respectively. Western blotting of reduced membrane proteins showed that B8 MAb reacted with a polypeptide having a molecular weight of 168.2?kDa. In indirect immunoperoxidase test, B8+ cells appeared to be lymphoid cells with a high nucleus to cytoplasmic ratio. B8 reactive cells were densely packed in central region of thymus whereas, a few cells were found to be positive in kidney and spleen sections. B8 MAb also reacted with a significant population of lymphocytes in blood smears. Considering the economic importance of C. catla, this MAb should be a useful tool for studying immune response of this fish species.