Development of a displacement immunoassay by exploiting cross-reactivity of a monoclonal antibody

Highly specific nanobody against herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid for monitoring of its contamination in environmental water

2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), a widely used herbicide, is a small organic chemical pollutant in the environment. To develop a nanobody-based immunoassay for monitoring trace levels of 2,4-D, a step-wise strategy for the generation of nanobodies highly specific against this small chemical was employed. Firstly, we synthesized three novel haptens mimicking 2,4-D and assessed their influence on the sensitivity and specificity of the existing antibody-based assay. Polyclonal antibodies (pAb) from rabbits showed good sensitivity and moderate specificity for 2,4-D, pAb from llama based on selected haptens showed similar performance when compared to those from rabbits. Secondly, nanobodies derived from llama were generated for 2,4-D by an effective procedure, including serum monitoring and one-step library construction. One nanobody, NB3-9, exhibited good sensitivity against 2,4-D (IC₅₀ = 29.2 ng/mL) had better specificity than the rabbit pAb#1518, with no cross-reactivities against the 2,4-D analogs tested. Thirdly, one-step fluorescent enzyme immunoassay (FLEIA) for 2,4-D based on a nanobody-alkaline phosphatase (AP) fusion was developed with IC₅₀ of 1.9 ng/mL and a linear range of 0.4-8.6 ng/mL. Environmental water samples were analyzed by FLEIA and LC-MS/MS for comparison, and the results were consistent between both methods. Therefore, the proposed step-wise strategy from hapten design to nanobody-AP fusion production was successfully conducted, and the resulting nanobody based FLEIA was demonstrated as a convenient tool to monitor 2,4-D residuals in the environment.

Determination of Fucose Concentration in a Lectin-Based Displacement Microfluidic Assay

We compare three different methods to quantify the monosaccharide fucose in solutions using the displacement of a large glycoprotein, lactoferrin. Two microfluidic analysis methods, namely fluorescence detection of (labeled) lactoferrin as it is displaced by unlabeled fucose and the displacement of (unlabeled) lactoferrin in SPR, provide fast responses and continuous data during the experiment, theoretically providing significant information regarding the interaction kinetics between the saccharide groups and binding sites. For comparison, we also performed a static displacement ELISA. The stationary binding site in all cases was immobilized S2-AAL, a monovalent polypeptide based on Aleuria aurantia lectin. Although all three assays showed a similar dynamic range, the microfluidic assays with fluorescent or SPR detection show an advantage in short analysis times. Furthermore, the microfluidic displacement assays provide a possibility to develop a one-step analytical platform.

Interaction of antibodies with aromatic ligands: the role of pi-stacking

Antibodies are responsible for antigen recognition in vertebrate organisms. Practically any molecule can be bound by antibodies. In this work structures of 73 complexes of antibodies with small antigens were taken from PDB database and compared. The main epitope of studied ligands was an aromatic ring. Antibodies bound it with a deep cavity, lying between complementary determining regions (CDR) H3 and L3 and formed by aromatic residues. In most cases the aromatic ring of ligand was placed parallel to one or two aromatic sidechains of binding site at 3.5-4 Angstrom distance. This disposition of aromatic rings is a sign of the presence of pi-stacking. It was found that small ligands with aromatics area percentage > 36% predominantly form pi-stacking interaction with antibodies. Most often this interaction was observed for residues in positions H33, H95, L32 and L93.

Aptamers: molecular tools for analytical applications

Aptamers are artificial nucleic acid ligands, specifically generated against certain targets, such as amino acids, drugs, proteins or other molecules. In nature they exist as a nucleic acid based genetic regulatory element called a riboswitch. For generation of artificial ligands, they are isolated from combinatorial libraries of synthetic nucleic acid by exponential enrichment, via an in vitro iterative process of adsorption, recovery and reamplification known as systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX). Thanks to their unique characteristics and chemical structure, aptamers offer themselves as ideal candidates for use in analytical devices and techniques. Recent progress in the aptamer selection and incorporation of aptamers into molecular beacon structures will ensure the application of aptamers for functional and quantitative proteomics and high-throughput screening for drug discovery, as well as in various analytical applications. The properties of aptamers as well as recent developments in improved, time-efficient methods for their selection and stabilization are outlined. The use of these powerful molecular tools for analysis and the advantages they offer over existing affinity biocomponents are discussed. Finally the evolving use of aptamers in specific analytical applications such as chromatography, ELISA-type assays, biosensors and affinity PCR as well as current avenues of research and future perspectives conclude this review.

Displacement enzyme linked aptamer assay

Immense effort has been placed on the realization of immunoassays exploiting displacement of a suboptimum target, due to the ease of use and applicability to immunochromatographic strips and immunosensors. Most of the efforts reported to date focus on the use of a suboptimal target that is displaceable by the target toward which the antibody has higher affinity. Limited success has been achieved due to difficulty in obtaining suboptimal targets to which the antibody has enough affinity to bind while at the same time having lower levels of affinity in comparison to the target to facilitate displacement. Aptamers are synthetic oligonucleotides specifically selected to bind a certain target. Thanks to their high affinity and sensitivity, aptamers appear as alternative candidates to antibodies for analytical devices and several enzyme-linked aptamer assays and aptasensors have been reported. Aptamers, in contrast to antibodies, require the formation of a three-dimensional structure for target binding and can thus be anticipated to have a much higher affinity for binding its target rather than a modified form of the target (e.g., enzyme-labeled target). This phenomenon can be exploited for the development of a displacement assay, using enzyme-labeled target as a suboptimal displaceable molecule. Here, we report the first demonstration of the exploitation of an aptamer in an extremely rapid and highly sensitive displacement assay. Surface plasmon resonance studies demonstrated the thrombin-binding aptamer to have a lower affinity for enzyme-labeled thrombin than unmodified thrombin, with respective K(D) of 1.1 x 10(-8) and 2.9 x 10(-9) M. The assay is extremely rapid, requiring only 10 min for completion, and exhibits a detection limit lower than that obtainable with competitive enzyme-linked aptamer assays and comparable to that of hybrid aptamer-antibody assays. Optimal storage conditions for precoated microtiter plates (consisting of coated aptamer and captured labeled target) were elucidated, and the results demonstrated their amenability to long-term storage, facilitating commercially viable displacement enzyme-linked aptamer assays that simply require sample addition, with a total assay time, including color development, of 30 min.

Quantum-Dot/Aptamer-Based Ultrasensitive Multi-Analyte Electrochemical Biosensor

The coupling of aptamers with the coding and amplification features of inorganic nanocrystals is shown for the first time to offer a highly sensitive and selective simultaneous bioelectronic detection of several protein targets. This is accomplished in a single-step displacement assay in connection to a self-assembled monolayer of several thiolated aptamers conjugated to proteins carrying different inorganic nanocrystals. Electrochemical stripping detection of the nondisplaced nanocrystal tracers results in a remarkably low (attomole) detection limit, that is, significantly lower than those of existing aptamer biosensors. The new device offers great promise for measuring a large panel of disease markers present at ultralow levels during early stages of the disease progress.

B cell selection and affinity maturation during an antibody response in the mouse with limited B cell diversity

The quasi-monoclonal mouse has limited B cell diversity, whose major (approximately 80%) B cell Ag receptors are comprised of the knockin V(H) 17.2.25 (V(H)T)-encoded H chain and the lambda1 or lambda2 L chain, thereby being specific for 4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenylacetyl. The p-nitrophenylacetyl (pNP) was found to be a low affinity analog of nitrophenylacetyl. We examined affinity maturation of anti-pNP IgG by analyzing mAbs obtained from quasi-monoclonal mice that were immunized with this low affinity Ag. The results are: 1) Although V(H)T/lambda1 and V(H)T/lambda2 IgM were equally produced, V(H)T/lambda2 IgG almost exclusively underwent affinity maturation toward pNP. 2) A common mutation in complementarity-determining region 3 of V(H)T (T313A) mainly contributed to generating the specificity for pNP. 3) Because mutated V(H)T-encoded gamma-chains could form lambda1-bearing IgG in Chinese hamster ovary cells, apparent absence of V(H)T/lambda1 anti-pNP IgG may not be due to the incompatibility between the gamma-chains and the lambda1-chain, but may be explained by the fact that V(H)T/lambda1 B cells showed 50- to 100-fold lower affinity for pNP than V(H)T/lambda2 B cells. 4) Interestingly, a pNP-specific IgM mAb that shared common mutations including T313A with high affinity anti-pNP IgG was isolated, suggesting that a part of hypermutation coupled with positive selection can occur before isotype switching. Thus, even weak B cell receptor engagement can elicit an IgM response, whereas only B cells that received signals stronger than a threshold may be committed to an affinity maturation process.

Immunosensors for pesticide analysis: antibody production and sensor development

Immunosensors, a type of affinity biosensor, are based on the binding interactions between an immobilized biomolecule (antibody/antigen) on the electronic transducer surface with the analyte of interest (antigen/antibody), resulting in a detectable signal. The sensor system takes advantage of the high selectivity provided by the molecular recognition characteristic of an antibody, which binds reversibly with a specific antigen. This review article presents the current status of immunosensors, highlighting their potential benefits and limitations for pesticide analysis. The basic criteria for generating specific antibodies against low-molecular-mass pesticides, which are usually nonimmunogenic in nature, are briefly discussed. The article also describes the fundamentals of important transducer technologies and their use in immunosensor development.

Use of L-lysine fluorescence derivatives as tracers to enhance the performance of polarization fluoroimmunoassays. A study using two herbicides as model antigens

Fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) is a convenient homogeneous assay, the use of which is restricted in environmental analysis by low sensitivity and matrix effects. We selected the herbicides 2,4D and 2,4,5T to synthesize new L-lysine-based fluorescent tracers using solid-phase chemistry. In addition, three different immunogens of 2,4,5T were prepared for immunization and antibody production. The new tracers and antibodies were adapted to FPIA. Tracers with the hapten attached to the alpha-aminogroup of L-lysine and fluorescein to the e-amino group exhibited at least a 5-fold increased sensitivity when compared to the previously reported ethylenediamine-based tracer (2,4D-EDA-F). The isomeric structure (hapten attached to the e-amino and fluorescein to the alpha-amino group) appeared 7.6 times less sensitive, and all other alternative structures exhibited even lower sensitivities. This observation was confirmed against the monoclonal anti-2,4D antibody E2/G2 and polyclonal anti-2,4,5T antibodies. The affinity constant of 2,4D-EDA-F with E2/G2 was 8.1 times higher when compared with the new tracer, suggesting the more specific nature of the L-lysine-based tracer, the use of which leads to a more sensitive assay. This type of tracer could improve performance and lower substantially the detection limits of FPIAs.

Influence of antibody valency in a displacement immunoassay for the quantitation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid

The influence of antibody valency in a displacement immunoassay was investigated by comparing the whole antibody molecule with the corresponding Fab-fragment. The displacement immunoassay for the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) takes advantage of the cross-reactivity of monoclonal anti-2,4-D antibodies and the Fab-fragments toward immobilized 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA). Due to the low affinity of the antibodies toward MCPA (cross-reactivity of approximately 30%), the addition of 2,4-D resulted in a displacement of the antibodies or the fragments. The detection limits obtained with whole anti-2,4-D antibodies and Fab-fragments were 0.1 microg/l and 0.01 microg/l 2,4-D, respectively. The whole antibodies and the Fab-fragments show similarities, such as the cross-reactivity toward MCPA (26% and 33%), and some characteristics of the calibration curve, for example the large detection range and the sensitivity. In contrast to the bivalent antibodies, however, increasing the hapten/protein ratios of the immobilized MCPA-BSA conjugates did not affect the detection limit when using the Fab-fragments. Moreover, kinetic experiments reveal a faster displacement reaction with the Fab-fragments. A disadvantage of using the Fab-fragments is the generation of lower absorbance values in the ELISA.