A noninstrumental immunoassay based on colloidal dyes

Detecting labels based on water dispersions of colloidal textile dyes were developed that are useful in various analytical and diagnostic test systems for a simple visual assessment of the assay. Colored water-insoluble particles of dyes were used for the sorptional immobilization of streptavidin on their surface. The resulting streptavidin-dye (STR-DYE) complexes possessed a high visualizing capacity and were used for the combined detection of pesticides (simazine and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) by noninstrumental immunoassay (DYE-comb-assay, competitive dot-immunoassay in the comb format). The detection limits and the duration of our DYE-comb-assay (4 ng/ml, 20–25 min), HRP-comb-assay (competitive dot-immunoassay in the comb format using the enzymic conjugate of STR with horseradish peroxidase) (16 ng/ml), and the traditional competitive ELISA (12–16 ng/ml, 1.5 h) were compared. This DYE-comb-assay is simple enough and can be used under field conditions.     

A protein assay based on colloidal gold conjugates with trypsin

The standard sol particle immunoassay (SPIA) is based on a biospecific aggregation of gold nanoparticle conjugates, followed by conventional spectrophotometry. Here we propose a novel SPIA format that uses microtitration immunological plates and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay reader. The novel and standard assays are exemplified by determination of immunoglobulin G by using 15-nm colloidal gold-protein A conjugates. We also describe a novel sol particle-trypsin assay using conjugates of gold nanoparticles with trypsin. The method is based on measuring spectral extinction changes caused by the addition of protein to a conjugate solution. The changes in the extinction spectra are presumed to be related to aggregation of gold nanoparticles caused by polyvalent binding of protein molecules to the trypsin molecules of the conjugates.     

A chemiluminescent metalloimmunoassay based on silver deposition on colloidal gold labels

A sensitive chemiluminescent (CL) immunoassay of human immunoglobulin (IgG) which combined the inherent high sensitivity of CL analysis with the dramatic signal amplification of silver precipitation on colloidal gold tags was developed. First, the sandwich-type complex was formed in this protocol by the primary antibody immobilized on the polystyrene wells, the analyte in the sample, and the secondary antibody labeled with colloidal gold. Second, the colloidal gold was treated by an Ag(+) reduction solution, which resulted in the catalytic precipitation of silver on the surface of colloidal gold. Third, a large number of Ag(+) were oxidatively released in HNO(3) solution from the silver metal anchored on the sandwich-type complexes and then the human IgG was indirectly determined by a sensitive combined CL reaction of Ag(+)-K(2)S(2)O(8)-Mn(2+)- H(3)PO(4)-luminol. The chemiluminescence intensity depends linearly on the logarithm of the concentration of human IgG over the range of 0.02-50ngml(-1) and detection limit (3sigma) is 0.005ngml(-1) (i.e., approximately 3x10(-14)M, 3amol in 100-mul sample). This assay has been successfully applied to the determination of human IgG in human serum samples and showed great potential for numerous applications in immunoassay.     

Immunoassay based on carbon nanotubes-enhanced ELISA for Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

Among the methods used to detect pathogenic bacteria, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is one of the most widely used techniques in routine sample analysis. For Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium detection, a typical ELISA yields a sensitivity of 10(6)-10(7)CFU/ml. To enhance the detection sensitivity, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) was employed in this study as a labelling platform for antibody and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) co-immobilizing. With high proteins recovery after the coupling process, the resulting Ab/SWCNTs/HRP bioconjugate was used in the proof-of-concept ELISA experiments. Limit of detection (LOD) was found to be 10(3) and 10(4)CFU/ml for direct and sandwich ELISA, respectively, when Ab/HRP at 1:400 ratio was used. This figure accounts for 1000-time greater in detection sensitivity when compared to a commercial Ab-HRP conjugate. The Ab/SWCNTs/HRP bioconjugate was tested further in real samples and found a superior activity over the commercial Ab-HRP by showing 100-time greater detection limit.     

Development of urinary albumin immunosensor based on colloidal AuNP and PVA

The development of immunosensors with high sensitivity and specificity in detecting the pathogenic or physiologically relevant molecules in the body, offers a powerful opportunity in early diagnosis and treatment of diseases. In this study, we developed a new competitive immunosensor with employing antibody (Ab) labeled AuNP (Ab-AuNP) and PVA modified screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) surface to detect the urine albumin. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) of modified electrode showed a suitable and stable attachment between HSA antigen- mAb and AuNP. Cyclic voltammetric (CV) method demonstrated that modification process was well performed. Electrochemical measurements including differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) were employed for quantitative antigen detection. The electrochemical measurements performed with other proteins mixed with samples demonstrated a high specificity and selectivity for this biosensor in detecting the HSA. In optimal conditions, the immunosensor could detect HSA in a high linear range (from 2.5 to 200 μg/mL) with a low detection limit of 25 ng/mL. This new strategy could be improved and applied to detect the other antigen.     

Immunoassay principle based on exchange reactions: investigations on agarose gel and silanized quartz.

Preliminary studies of a new immunoassay principle based on exchange reactions is reported. Exchange of 125I-labelled insulin with unlabelled insulin from immobilized monoclonal antibodies was investigated. From antibody immobilized on a gel substrate the tagged insulin was exchanged according to a first-order process. With antibody immobilized on a quartz substrate by two different methods, the kinetics was changed dramatically, probably because of the non-specific interaction between the ligand and the surface. The recorded adsorption isotherms could not be described by the Langmuir adsorption equation, and a model allowing for non-specific adsorption of the ligand was developed. This model gave a satisfactory fit to the experimental data, allowing computation of adsorption parameters. It is concluded that even the best method used to immobilize receptors on quartz is not adequate for an exchange assay to be made. However, this coating method may lead to more sensitive receptor-based assays of more conventional type.     

A high-sensitivity electrochemical immunosensor based on mobile crystalline material-41-polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposite and colloidal gold nanoparticles

A novel competitive immunosensor was developed as a model system using anti-human serum albumin (HSA)-conjugated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as an electrochemical label and mobile crystalline material-41 (MCM-41)–polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) mesoporous nanocomposite as an immobilization platform. However, no attempt has yet been made to use the MCM-41 as the supporting electrolyte for the electrosynthesis of nonconducting polymer nanocomposite. This hybrid membrane was evaluated extensively by using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) to determine its physicochemical and electrochemical properties in immunosensor application. FESEM revealed an appropriate and stable attachment between HSA and MCM-41 and also a dense layer deposition of MCM-41–HSA–PVA film onto the electrode surfaces. DPV was developed for quantitative determination of antigen in biological samples. A decrease in DPV responses was observed with increasing concentrations of HSA in standard and real samples. In optimal conditions, this immunosensor based on MCM-41–PVA nanocomposite film could detect HSA in a high linear range (0.5–200 μg ml^?1) with a low detection limit of 1 ng ml^?1. The proposed method showed acceptable reproducibility, stability, and reliability and could also be applied to detect the other antigens.     

一种酚氧化酶原组织定位的胶体金标记免疫电镜方法

以亚洲玉米螟Ostrinia furnacalis Guenée5龄幼虫的中肠和体壁组织为材料,采用Epon812常规包埋方法,以作者实验室制备的酚氧化酶原多克隆抗体为一抗、胶体金标记的羊抗鼠IgG为二抗,采用醋酸双氧铀-柠檬酸铅双染色体系,建立一种胶体金标记的特异性强且超微结构保存较好的亚洲玉米螟幼虫体内中酚氧化酶原免疫电镜定位方法。     

Intensity calibration of a laser scanning confocal microscope based on concentrated dyes

OBJECTIVE: To find water-soluble fluorescent dyes with absorption in various regions of the spectrum and investigate their utility as standards for laser scanning confocal microscopy. STUDY DESIGN: Several dyes were found to have characteristics required for fluorescence microscopy standards. The intensity of biological fluorescent specimens was measured against the emission of concentrated dyes. Results using different optics and different microscopes were compared. RESULTS: Slides based on concentrated dyes can be prepared in a highly reproducible manner and are stable under laser scanning. Normalized fluorescence of biological specimens remains consistent with different objective lenses and is tolerant to some mismatch in optical filters or imperfect pinhole alignment. Careful choice of scanning parameters is necessary to ensure linearity of intensity measurements. CONCLUSION: Concentrated dyes provide a robust and inexpensive intensity standard that can be used in basic research or clinical studies.     

Efficient light absorbers based on thiophene-fused boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) dyes

We present the development of the thiophene-fused boron dipyrromethene derivatives as efficient light absorbers. The two strategies for the evolution of the optical properties such as the peak positions of absorption wavelengths and molar extinct coefficients were established by the substituent effects: by introducing iodine groups, the bathochromic shifts of the peak positions (+15 nm) and the enhancement of molar extinct coefficients were simultaneously received owing to the heavy atom effect. Next, it was found that the modification with the trifluoromethyl group contributed to the large bathochromic shift (+60 nm) because of the lowering effect on the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of the dye by the substituent. Finally, we obtained the dyes with large molar extinct coefficients (184,140 M^?1 cm^?1 at 592 nm, 72,180 M^?1 cm^?1 at 623 nm), sharp absorption bands, and low emissions.     

Developing azo and formazan dyes based on environmental considerations: Salmonella mutagenicity

In previous papers, the synthesis and chemical properties of iron-complexed azo and formazan dyes were reported. It was shown that in certain cases iron could be substituted for the traditionally used metals such as chromium and cobalt, without having an adverse effect on dye stability. While these results suggested that the iron analogs were potential replacements for the commercially used chromium and cobalt prototypes, characterization of potentially adverse environmental effects of the new dyes was deemed an essential step in their further development. The present paper provides results from using the Salmonella/mammalian microsome assay to determine the mutagenicity of some important commercial metal complexed dyes, their unmetallized forms, and the corresponding iron-complexed analogs. The study compared the mutagenic properties of six unmetallized azo dyes, six commercial cobalt- or chromium-complexed azo dyes, six iron-complexed azo dyes, six unmetallized formazan dyes, and six iron-complexed formazan dyes. The results of this study suggest that the mutagenicity of the unmetallized dye precursors plays a role in determining the mutagenicity of the iron-complexes. For the monoazo dye containing a nitro group, metal complex formation using iron or chromium decreased or removed mutagenicity in TA100; however, little reduction in mutagenicity was noted in TA98. For the formazan dye containing a nitro group, metal-complex formation using iron increased mutagenicity. Results varied for metal-complexes of azo and formazan dyes without nitro groups, but in general, the metal-complexed dyes based on mutagenic ligands were also mutagenic, while those dyes based on nonmutagenic ligands were nonmutagenic.     

A Novel Synthetic Receptor-Based Immunoassay for Influenza Vaccine Quantification

Vaccination is the most effective prophylactic method for preventing influenza. Quantification of influenza vaccine antigens is critically important before the vaccine is used for human immunization. Currently the vaccine antigen quantification relies on hemagglutinin content quantification, the key antigenic component, by single radial immunodiffusion (SRID) assay. Due to the inherent disadvantages associated with the traditional SRID; i.e. low sensitivity, low throughput and need for annual reagents, several approaches have been proposed and investigated as alternatives. Yet, most alternative methods cannot distinguish native hemagglutinin from denatured form, making them less relevant to antigenic analyses. Here, we developed a quantitative immunoassay based on the sialic acid binding property of influenza vaccine antigens. Specifically, we chemically synthesized human and avian influenza virus receptors analogues, N-acetylneuraminic acid-2,6-lactose and N-acetylneuraminic acid-2,3-lactose derivatives with an azidopropyl aglycon, using α-2,6- and α-2,3-sialyltransferases, respectively. The azido group of the two sialyllactose-derivatives was reduced and conjugated to mouse serum albumin through a squarate linkage. We showed that the synthetic α-2,6- and α-2,3-receptors selectively bound to human and avian-derived hemagglutinins, respectively, forming the basis of a new, and robust assay for hemagglutinin quantification. Hemagglutinin treated at high temperature or low pH was measured differentially to untreated samples suggesting native conformation is dependent for optimal binding. Importantly, this receptor-based immunoassay showed excellent specificity and reproducibility, high precision, less turnaround time and significantly higher sensitivity and throughput compared with SRID in analyzing multiple influenza vaccines.     

A water‐soluble fluorescent pH probe based on perylene dyes and its application to cell imaging

A fluorescent pH probe, N,N′‐bi( l ‐phenylalanine amine)‐perylene‐3,4;9,10‐dicarboxylic diimide (PDCDA) was synthesized and used for pH sensing in living cells. A significant fluorescence intensity change was observed over a pH range from 7.0 to 4.0. Electrostatic potential maps (MEP) suggested that the electronic repulsion between PDCDAs was increased by the high negative electrostatic potential which resulted in a high water solubility of PDCDA. PDCDA was successfully applied as a high‐performance fluorochrome for living HeLa cell imaging. The results demonstrate that the probe PDCDA is a good candidate for monitoring pH fluctuations in living cells with good water solubility, low cytotoxicity, high fluorescence quantum yield and photostability. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Novel Colourimetric Homogeneous Liposomal Immunoassay Using Sulphorhodamine B

Abstract

The dye, Sulphorhodamine B, was entrapped within liposomes prepared by the reverse evaporation technique. Marked differences in absorption spectra were found when free and entrapped dyes were compared, with a shift in the wavelength of maximum absorption. When entrapped dye was released by lysis of the liposomes, for example by detergent, the absorption spectrum reverted to that of free dye. This absorption change was employed in a novel marker system for complement-mediated immunoassay. As a model assay, human serum albumin was measured using this approach. Liposomes which had been coated with albumin were incubated with anti-albumin antibody and complement and the resulting absorption change measured using an automated spectrophotometric analyser. The decrease in absorption change on the addition of albumin formed the basis of a competitive homogeneous immunoassay for human serum albumin. Using purified albumin as a standard, a correlation of 0.96 was obtained when the albumin in human serum was measured in the liposomal assay and the results compared to measurements using a bromocresol green method.     

基于固态基底的SERS免疫检测新方法研究

目的:通过引入新型表面增强拉曼散射(SERS)检测探针(Au-DTNB-Tyr NPs)和金标银染技术,建立基于固态硅片基底的SERS免疫检测新技术。方法:羊抗人IgM-HRP作为检测抗体,在硅片基底上检测不同浓度的人IgM,HRP催化SERS检测探针沉积,利用金标银染技术增强SERS信号。结果:所建立的SERS免疫检测新方法检测人IgM的检测限为10 pg/mL,且SERS信号强度与人IgM浓度具有良好的线性关系(R2=0.993)。结论:基于硅片基底的SERS免疫检测新技术可高灵敏地定量检测人IgM,为实现固态硅片基底对多种抗原的高通量集成化检测奠定了基础。     

以溶解性可调节高分子为载体的酶免疫分析

将单克隆抗体与溶解性受酸度或温度调节的高分子共价连接.研究了共聚物的溶解性可调节特征,建立了以溶解性可调节高分子为载体酶免疫分析方法,对血清样品中HBsAg进行了检测,灵敏度0.5 μg/L,对43例样品检验的结果与ELISA方法相符.