Hapten synthesis for enzyme-linked immunoassay of the insecticide triazophos

Electrofusion preparation of anti-triazophos monoclonal antibodies for development of an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Immunoassays have been widely used to detect small molecular contaminants due to the advantages of simplicity, high throughout and low-cost. Antibodies are essential reagents of immunoassays, their quality directly determines the characteristics of immunoassays. In this study, the monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) of triazophos were prepared by electrofusion, and used to develop an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA). Under the optimal electrofusion conditions (cells treatment with pronase, the alternating electric field strength of 45 V cm^-1, the direct current voltage of 3 kV), the fusion efficiency was 1.104 ± 0.063‱, which was improved more than 4-fold compared with the chemical fusion method (0.255 ± 0.089‱). Three hybrid cell lines that can stably secrete the anti-triazophos mAbs were obtained. The cell line 4G6F10 showed the highest sensitivity, which was used to generate mAb and develop an ic-ELISA. After optimization, the 50% inhibition concentration (IC₅₀), limit of detection (LOD) and linear range (IC₁₀-IC₉₀) of the ic-ELISA were 0.32 ng mL^-1, 0.08 ng mL^-1 and 0.08-2.17 ng mL^-1, respectively. There was no significant cross-reactivity with the analogues of triazophos. The average recoveries of triazophos in spiked samples were 77.5%-89.3% with the relative standard deviations of 0.1%-9.2%. In addition, the ic-ELISA showed good repeatability, reproducibility and accuracy for the analysis of apple samples spiked with triazophos.

Immunoassay-based approaches for development of screening of chlorpyrifos

Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is an extensively used organophosphate pesticide for crop protection. However, there are concerns of it contaminating the environment and human health with estimated three lakh deaths annually. Detection of CPF in blood samples holds significance to avoid severe health outcomes due to continuous exposure. The most common techniques for CPF detection are Gas chromatography (GC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). However, these techniques might not be feasible at the community healthcare level due to high-cost instrumentation, time-consuming sample preparation protocol and skilled analysts. Therefore, rapid, effective and economical methods such as immunoassay would be imperative for CPF detection in biological samples. The vital step in immunoassay development is the design of a potent immunogen from non-immunogenic molecules. The molecular modelling protocol could assist in redesigning known CPF linkers and inserting them at different substitutable positions of CPF to get distinctive CPF derivatives. Molecular docking and binding free energy analysis can be used to identify the CPF derivatives having a better binding affinity with carrier protein compared to CPF. The top-ranked CPF derivatives based on docking score and binding energy could be ideal for synthesis and immunogen development. The present review will comprehend technological trends in immunoassay kits for detecting chlorpyrifos from biological samples.

A visual bio-barcode immunoassay for sensitive detection of triazophos based on biochip silver staining signal amplification

Herein, a novel visual method for detecting triazophos based on competitive bio-barcode immunoassay was described. The competitive immunoassay was established by gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), magnetic microparticle (MMPs) and triazophos, combined with biochip hybridization system to detect the residual of triazophos in water and apple. Because AuNPs carried many bio-barcodes, which hybridized with labeled DNA on the biochip, catalyzed signal amplification using silver staining was detected by grayscale values as well as the naked eye. Notably, the grayscale values decreases with increasing the concentrations of triazophos, and the color change weakened gradually. The detection range was in between 0.05 and 10 ng/mL and the minimum detection limit was set at 0.04 ng/mL. Percent recovery calculated from spiked water and apple samples ranged between 55.4 and 107.8% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 12.4-24.9%. It has therefore been shown that this protocol provides a new insight for rapid detection of small molecule pesticides in various matrices.

A sensitive fluorometric bio-barcodes immunoassay for detection of triazophos residue in agricultural products and water samples by iterative cycles of DNA-RNA hybridization and dissociation of fluorophores by Ribonuclease H

Although the toxicity of triazophos is high and it has been pulled from the market in many countries; it is still widely used and frequently detected in agricultural products. While conventional analyses have been routinely used for the quantification and monitoring of triazophos residues, those for detecting low residual levels are deemed necessary. Therefore, we developed a novel and sensitive fluorometric signal amplification immunoassay employing bio-barcodes for the quantitative analysis of triazophos residues in foodstuffs and surface water. Herein, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) attached to gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were coated with DNA oligonucleotides (used as a signal generator), and a complementary fluorogenic RNA was used for signal amplification. The system generated detection signals through DNA-RNA hybridization and subsequent dissociation of fluorophores by Ribonuclease H (RNase H). It has to be noted that RNase H can only disintegrate the RNA in DNA-RNA duplex, but not cleave single or double-stranded DNA. Hence, with iterative cycles of DNA-RNA hybridization, sufficient strong signal was obtained for reliable detection of residues. Furthermore, this method enables quantitative detection of triazophos residues through fluorescence intensity measurements. The competitive immunoassay shows a wide linear range of 0.01-100 ng/mL with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.0032 ng/mL. The assay substantially meets the demand for the low residue detection of triazophos residues in agricultural products and water samples. Accuracy (expressed as spiked recovery %) and coefficient of variation (CV) were ranged from 73.4% to 116% and 7.04% to 17.4%, respectively. The proposed bio-barcodes immunoassay has the advantages of being stable, reproducible, and reliable for residue detection. In sum, the present study provides a novel approach for detection of small molecules in various sample matrices.

Development of a High-Quality ELISA Method for Dinotefuran Based on a Novel and Newly-Designed Antigen

The structure of hapten determines the performance of the antibody and the corresponding detection method. A new type of antigen was designed and synthesized to expose the spatial and characteristic structure of dinotefuran molecule, and a type of high-quality antibody was obtained. The IC50 value of the monoclonal antibody was 5.30 ng/mL and its cross-reactivity (CRs) was less than 2% when reacting with other structurally related analytes. The effects of spatial configurations of hapten on the antibody were visually analyzed while using the appropriate software according to the quality of the antibodies, which showed that the specificity of the antibody is closely related with the exposed structure of hapten. An ELISA assay with an IC50 of 5.66 ng/mL and a linear range of 1.95 to 16.29 ng/mL was developed. The results that were obtained from the ELISA and HPLC methods were equivalent. The results showed that spatial simulation is a crucial method that is used in the designing of hapten to obtain a sensitive and specific antibody. The application of this method will highlight the potential aim and improve the detection efficiency of ELISA.

Development of a one-step immunoassay for triazophos using camel single-domain antibody-alkaline phosphatase fusion protein

Triazophos is mainly used in Asian and African countries for the control of insects in agricultural production. Camelid variable domains of heavy-chain antibodies (VHHs) show great promise in monitoring environmental chemicals such as pesticides. To improve the rate of success in the generation of VHHs against triazophos, genes specifically encoding VHH fragments from the unique allotype IgG3a of an immunized Camelus bactrianus were amplified by using a pair of novel primers and introduced to construct a diverse VHH library. Five out of seven isolated positive clones, including the VHH T1 with the highest affinity to triazophos, were derived from the allotype IgG3a. A one-step enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using VHH T1 genetically fused with alkaline phosphatase (AP) had a half-maximum inhibition concentration of 6.6 ng/mL for triazophos. This assay showed negligible cross-reactivity with a list of important organophosphate pesticides (< 0.1%). The average recoveries of triazophos from water, soil, and apple samples determined by the one-step ELISA ranged from 83 to 108%, having a good correlation with those by a gas chromatography mass spectrometry (R² = 0.99). The VHH-AP fusion protein shows potential for the analysis of triazophos in various matrices.

A non-competitive surface plasmon resonance immunosensor for rapid detection of triazophos residue in environmental and agricultural samples

The wide application of an organophosphate pesticide triazophos raises concern on the environmental pollution and the potential risk to human health. Thus, it is crucial to regularly monitor triazophos residue in the environment and agro-products. Herein we described a non-competitive immunoassay for trace detection of triazophos using a direct surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor. Two anti-triazophos monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were immobilized on the sensor chip and characterized by SPR-based kinetic analysis. The mAb with relatively slow dissociation rate was used for direct immunosensing of triazophos. The biosensor assay showed a high specificity and a low detection limit of 0.096ngmL^-1 to triazophos, with the linear detection range of 0.98-8.29ngmL^-1. Under the optimal condition, the sensor chip could be regenerated for 160cycles at least. Moreover, the sensitive method was applied to determine triazophos in the spiked environmental water and agricultural products, as well as in unknown real-life samples (including Chinese cabbage, cucumber, and apple). Desirable results demonstrated that the newly-developed immunosensor could be used as a rapid, convenient, and reliable tool to regularly monitor triazophos and meet the detection requirement of its maximum residue limits.

Biomimetic enzyme-linked immunoassay based on a molecularly imprinted 96-well plate for the determination of triazophos residues in real samples

In this study, a direct competitive biomimetic enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay (BELISA) based on a molecularly imprinted nanomembrane as an artificial antibody was developed for the determination of triazophos in real samples. The imprinted film was directly synthesized on the well surface of a 96-well plate using a dummy molecular template under the conditions of thermal polymerization. The developed BELISA using a hapten of triazophos as an enzyme-labeled probe is much more sensitive, simple, quick, steady and inexpensive than the other instrumental and immuno assay methods. Under optimal conditions, the linear range of the method was 0.001–10 000 μg L⁻¹ with a good regression coefficient of 0.977. The sensitivity (IC₅₀) and the limit of detection (LOD) of BELISA were 428 μg L⁻¹ and 0.001 μg L⁻¹, respectively. This method was performed to detect triazophos in cabbage and apple samples, and showed excellent recovery and relative standard deviations (RSDs) ranging from 70.5 to 119.8% and from 5.2 to 19.7%, respectively. The results correlated well with those obtained using high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

In this study, a direct competitive biomimetic enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay (BELISA) based on a molecularly imprinted nanomembrane as an artificial antibody was developed for the determination of triazophos in real samples.

Expression and Functional Properties of an Anti-Triazophos High-Affinity Single-Chain Variable Fragment Antibody with Specific Lambda Light Chain

Triazophos is a widely used organophosphorous insecticide that has potentially adverse effects to organisms. In the present study, a high-affinity single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibody with specific lambda light chain was developed for residue monitoring. First, the specific variable regions were correctly amplified from a hybridoma cell line 8C10 that secreted monoclonal antibody (mAb) against triazophos. The regions were then assembled as scFv via splicing by overlap extension polymerase chain reaction. Subsequently, the recombinant anti-triazophos scFv-8C10 was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli strain HB2151 in soluble form, purified through immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography, and verified via Western blot and peptide mass fingerprinting analyses. Afterward, an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was established based on the purified anti-triazophos scFv-8C10 antibody. The assay exhibited properties similar to those based on the parent mAb, with a high sensitivity (IC50 of 1.73 ng/mL) to triazophos and no cross reaction for other organophosphorus pesticides; it was reliable in detecting triazophos residues in spiked water samples. Moreover, kinetic measurement using a surface plasmon resonance biosensor indicated that the purified scFv-8C10 antibody had a high affinity of 1.8 × 10(-10) M and exhibited good binding stability. Results indicated that the recombinant high-affinity scFv-8C10 antibody was an effective detection material that would be promising for monitoring triazophos residues in environment samples.

Evaluation of a water-soluble adjuvant for the development of monoclonal antibodies against small-molecule compounds*

A water-soluble adjuvant named QuickAntibody (QA) was introduced into the procedure of mouse immunization for the development of hapten-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), using four kinds of pesticides as model compounds. Compared with conventional Freund’s adjuvants, QA treatments offered relatively low but acceptable antiserum titers after three inoculations, gave little adverse effects to the experimental animals, and were preferable in harvesting splenocytes during the steps of cell fusion. Afterwards, hybridomas from the QA group were prepared and screened by both non-competitive and competitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). The efficiency of gaining immune-positive hybridomas was satisfactory, and the resultant mAbs showed sensitivities (half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50)) of 0.91, 2.46, 3.72, and 6.22 ng/ml to triazophos, parathion, chlorpyrifos, and fenpropathrin, respectively. Additionally, the performance of QA adjuvant was further confirmed by acquiring a high-affinity mAb against okadaic acid (IC50 of 0.36 ng/ml) after three immunizations. These newly developed mAbs showed similar or even better sensitivities compared with previously reported mAbs specific to the corresponding analytes. This study suggested that the easy-to-use adjuvant could be applicable to the efficient generation of highly sensitive mAbs against small compounds.

Development of Immunochromatographic Assay for Identification of Organophosphate Pesticides in Environmental Samples

Microtiter plate enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA) experiments in competitive format were performed utilizing polyclonal antibody for establishing a detection system for organophosphate pesticides. IC50 value of and limit of detection (LOD) value was determined by standard inhibition curve and value obtained were 0.05 μgmL(-1) and 0.001 μgmL(-1), respectively. Specificity of antibody was investigated with different organophosphate pesticides. Immunochromatographic assay (ICA) experiments were also designed in competitive format by making use of immunochromatographic strip which was assembly of three main components: conjugate pad, membrane and adsorbent pad. Membrane was coated with hapten-OVA conjugate (test line) and antirabbit IgG (control line). ICA experiments were performed by employing gold-labeled antibody as a detector reagent which was applied over conjugate pad. Visual detection limit obtained from ICA was 0.5 μgmL(-1). Major advantage of strip assay was rapid result, i.e., less than 10 min. which makes it suitable for onsite applications.

Study on Enhancement Principle and Stabilization for the Luminol-H2O2-HRP Chemiluminescence System

A luminol-H2O2-HRP chemiluminescence system with high relative luminescent intensity (RLU) and long stabilization time was investigated. First, the comparative study on the enhancement effect of ten compounds as enhancers to the luminol-H2O2-HRP chemiluminescence system was carried out, and the results showed that 4-(imidazol-1-yl)phenol (4-IMP), 4-iodophenol (4-IOP), 4-bromophenol (4-BOP) and 4-hydroxy-4'-iodobiphenyl (HIOP) had the best performance. Based on the experiment, the four enhancers were dissolved in acetone, acetonitrile, methanol, and dimethylformamide (DMF) with various concentrations, the results indicated that 4-IMP, 4-IOP, 4-BOP and HIOP dissolved in DMF with the concentrations of 0.2%, 3.2%, 1.6% and 3.2% could get the highest RLU values. Subsequently, the influences of pH, ionic strength, HRP, 4-IMP, 4-IOP, 4-BOP, HIOP, H2O2 and luminol on the stabilization of the luminol-H2O2-HRP chemiluminescence system were studied, and we found that pH value, ionic strength, 4-IMP, 4-IOP, 4-BOP, HIOP, H2O2 and luminol have little influence on luminescent stabilization, while HRP has a great influence. In different ranges of HRP concentration, different enhancers should be selected. When the concentration is within the range of 0~6 ng/mL, 4-IMP should be selected. When the concentration of HRP ranges from 6 to 25 ng/mL, 4-IOP was the best choice. And when the concentration is within the range of 25~80 ng/mL, HIOP should be selected as the enhancer. Finally, the three well-performing chemiluminescent enhanced solutions (CESs) have been further optimized according to the three enhancers (4-IMP, 4-IOP and HIOP) in their utilized HRP concentration ranges.

A rapid immunomagnetic-bead-based immunoassay for triazophos analysis

Schematic illustration of a direct competitive immunomagnetic-bead-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (IMB-ELISA) to detect the triazophos pesticides.

A comparison on the phytoremediation ability of triazophos by different macrophytes

The strategy of choosing suitable plants should receive great performance in phytoremediation of surface water polluted by triazophos (O,O-diethyl-O-(1-phenyl-1,2,4-triazol-3-base) sulfur phosphate, TAP), which is an organophosphorus pesticide widespread applied for agriculture in China and moderately toxic to higher animal and fish. The tolerance, uptake, transformation and removal of TAP by twelve species of macrophytes were examined in a hydroponic system and a comprehensive score (CS) of five parameters (relative growth rate (RGR), biomass, root/shoot ratio, removal capacity (RC), and bio-concentration factor (BCF)) by factor analysis was employed to screen the potential macrophyte species for TAP phytoremediation. The results showed that Thalia dealbata, Cyperus alternifolius, Canna indica and Acorus calamus had higher RGR values, indicating these four species having stronger growth capacity under TAP stress. The higher RC loading in Iris pseudacorus and Cyperus rotundus were 42.11 and 24.63 microg/(g fw x day), respectively. The highest values of BCF occurred in A. calamus (1.17), and TF occurred in Eichhornia crassipes (2.14). Biomass and root/shoot ratio of plant showed significant positive correlation with first-order kinetic constant of TAP removal in the hydroponic system, indicating that plant biomass and root system play important roles in remediation of TAP. Five plant species including C. alternifolius, A. calamus, T. dealbata, C. indica and Typha orientalis, which owned higher CS, would be potential species for TAP phytoremediation of contaminated water bodies.

Enhanced competitive chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay for the trace detection of insecticide triazophos

A direct competitive chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA) for triazophos was developed, which was based on the anti-THHe IgG monoclonal antibody and a heterogeneous enzyme tracer (THHu-HRP). Several components of chemiluminescent enhanced solution (CES) were optimized. The results showed that 1 mM of p-iodo-phenol, 0.625 mM of luminol, and 4 mM of H(2)O(2) had the best performance. Based on the study of CES, the influence of several factors (assay buffer, blocking substance, and solvent) on the immunoassay was investigated. The sensitivity for detection, IC(50) value was 0.87 ng/mL at a practical working concentration range between 0.04 ng/mL and 5 ng/mL and the limit of detection for triazophos was 0.063 ng/mL. The average recovery of triazophos added to lettuce, carrot, apple, water, and soil were 78.71%, 67.52%, 118.3%, 117.2%, and 122.0%, respectively. Finally, comparison between the methods of CLEIA and high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrum (HPLC-MS/MS) was performed. The results obtained from CLEIA were in agreement with those of HPLC-MS/MS.

Synthesis and characterisation of immunogens for the production of antibodies against small hydrophobic molecules with biosignature properties

In the present study, five different classes of small hydrophobic molecular targets, atypical for antibody generation, were structurally modified in order to introduce suitable reactive functionalities and/or spacers which allow covalent coupling to a carrier protein resulting in a stable carrier-hapten complex. These targets were chosen to serve as markers of extant and/or extinct life in the context of the development of the Life Marker Chip (LMC), an antibody-based instrument, which is being developed by a UK-led international consortium for flight to Mars on board the joint ESA/NASA Mars exploration ExoMars mission. The hapten-protein conjugates were designed to be used as immunogens for antibody generation and immunoassay reagents in subsequent stages of the LMC development. The extent of protein modification due to covalent attachment of hapten was determined by two independent methods, i.e. trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBSA) titrations of remaining protein reactive groups and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) of the resultant hapten-protein conjugates. In a further quality validation step, the conjugates were presented to an animal's immune system and polyclonal antibody titres with moderate specificity were obtained. These results suggest that conjugates synthesized as described herein can successfully be used in the generation of antibodies targeting small hydrophobic molecules.

Electropolymerized molecular imprinting on gold nanoparticle-carbon nanotube modified electrode for electrochemical detection of triazophos

An electrochemical sensor for pesticide triazophos (TAP) was prepared by deposition of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode surface using a potentiostatic method, followed by electropolymerizing of o-hydroxyphenol at the AuNP/CNT/GC electrode surface in the presence of template triazophos via cyclic voltammetry. The electrochemical response of triazophos at the TAP-imprinted polyhydroxyphenol (PHP) modified AuNP/CNT/GC (PHP/AuNP/CNT/GC) electrode was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The cyclic voltammetric response of triazophos at the TAP-imprinted PHP/AuNP/CNT/GC electrode was significantly higher than that at bare GC, CNT/GC, AuNP/CNT/GC, imprinted PHP/CNT/GC and non-imprinted PHP/AuNP/CNT/GC electrodes. The results indicated that the TAP-imprinted PHP/AuNP/CNT/GC electrode can effectively improve the reductive properties of triazophos and eliminate interferences of other pesticides. In addition, the AuNPs can strikingly amplify the electrochemical response of triazophos and improve the sensitivity to triazophos. Finally, the electrochemical sensor was successfully applied to determination of triazophos in vegetable samples with satisfactory results.

Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based a monoclonal antibody for the detection of pyrethroids with phenoxybenzene multiresidue in river water

A sensitive and broad class selective direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using monoclonal antibody (McAb) has been described for the detection of pyrethroids with phenoxybenzene group. One monoclonal antibody, 2G(2)E(7), was obtained and characterized after fusion of myeloma cells with spleen cells isolated from BALB/c mice. The assay with the most selectivity for the family pyrethroids with phenoxybenzene group was optimized. The IC(50) values of the optimized immunoassay were 1.8 μg L(-1) for deltamethrin, 1.5 μg L(-1) for cypermethrin, 2.0 μg L(-1) for fluvalinate and fenvalerate, 2.2 μg L(-1) for phenothrin, 2.4 μg L(-1) for flucythrinate, 3.0 μg L(-1) for fenpropathrin, and 5.0 μg L(-1) for permethrin. River water samples fortified with pyrethroids were analyzed with the ELISA to evaluate the accuracy of the assay. The recoveries of pyrethroids in spiked water samples ranged from 74 to 108%. The results indicate that the ELISA developed can accurately simultaneously determine pyrethroids with phenoxybenzene group in water samples.

Effect of triazophos, fipronil and their mixture on miRNA expression in adult zebrafish

MicroRNA (miRNA) plays a crucial role in gene expression regulation. However, no data are available on change of miRNA expression of zebrafish (Danio rerio) after treatment with pesticides. We evaluated the effect of fipronil (5-amino-1-[2, 6-dichloro-4-(trifluoromethyl) phenyl]-4-[(trifluoromethyl) sulfinyl]-1H-pyrazole-3-carbonitrile) and triazophos (3-(O, O-diethyl)-1-phenyl thiophosphoryl-1, 2, 4-triazol) and their mixture on miRNA expression in zebrafish.MiRNA expression profiles in zebrafish were altered after treatment with these chemicals. An association between these chemicals and the expression of 21 miRNAs was found 96 h after treatment. Among them, 14 miRNAs were differentially expressed due to the treatments with fipronil, triazophos and their mixture; 5 miRNAs showed altered expression level after treatment with formulations of these chemicals; miR-29b and miR-738 were differentially expressed after treatment with adjuvants. MiRNAs might present a novel toxicological response that could be used as a toxicological biomarker and have a different direction for future investigations of their association with miRNAs involved in chemical related diseases.

Development of a monoclonal antibody-based enzyme immunoassay for the pyrethroid insecticide deltamethrin

With a screening hemisolid stem-cell culture, four positive hybridomas 2B(12), 2C(1), 2F(1), and 3D(4) were screened and used to prepare four correspondent monoclonal antibodies (McAbs) against the pyrethroid insecticide deltamethrin. These McAbs showed I(50) values in a range of 17-94 ng mL(-1), from among which the antibody 2B(12) with the lowest I(50) value was selected to develop an optimized enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In the developed ELISA, the I(50) of deltamethrin was 17.0 +/- 3.3 ng mL(-1) and the limit of detection (LOD) was 1.2 +/- 1.3 ng mL(-1). There seemed to be little or no cross-reactivity with other tested pyrethroids and their metabolites. For validation of the assay method, environmental water samples fortified with deltamethrin were analyzed with the ELISA and gas chromatography (GC) methods. The recoveries of the developed ELISA ranged from 82 to 117%, which were close to those of the GC method (94-103%). These results suggested that the developed ELISA based on the McAb 2B(12) could be used for the rapid and sensitive determination of deltamethrin in environmental water.

Development of a Mab-based heterologous immunoassay for the broad-selective determination of organophosphorus pesticides

A broad-selective monoclonal antibody (Mab) for organophosphorus (OP) pesticides was raised using heterologous indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to screen hybridomas. On the basis of this Mab, five coating antigens were used to develop homologous and heterologous indirect competitive ELISAs. With the most suitable competitor, a sensitive and broad-selective ELISA was developed. The IC(50) values were estimated to be 20.32 ng/mL for parathion, 21.44 ng/mL for methyl-parathion, 42.15 ng/mL for fenitrothion, and 58.85 ng/mL for isocarbophos. Spike recoveries were between 70.52 and 103.27% for the detection of single pesticide residues of the four OP pesticides in purple-clayed paddy soil. Moreover, the chosen ELISA was then applied to the detection of mixtures of parathion and methyl-parathion in soil samples. The average recovery and coefficient of variation were 80.91 and 4.82%, respectively. Results proved that this broad-selective ELISA would be useful for the multiresidue determination of OP pesticides.

Hapten synthesis and monoclonal antibody-based immunoassay development for detection of the fungicide trifloxystrobin

High-affinity and selective monoclonal antibodies have been produced against the strobilurin fungicide trifloxystrobin. A battery of functionalized haptens has been synthesized, and conjugate-coated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays following different procedures have been developed. On the one hand, a two-step conjugate-coated immunoassay was optimized using extended or short incubation times, with limits of detection of 0.10 ng/mL for the extended assay and 0.17 ng/mL for the rapid assay. On the other hand, an immunoassay in the conjugate-coated format was optimized following a procedure consisting of just one incubation step. This one-step assay had a limit of detection of 0.21 ng/mL. All of these assays showed detection limits for trifloxystrobin in the low parts per billion range, well below the common maximum residue limits for this pesticide in foodstuffs (50 microg/kg).

Hapten synthesis and monoclonal antibody-based immunoassay development for the detection of the fungicide kresoxim-methyl

Strobilurin fungicides have been increasingly used for fungus pest control since they were introduced in 1996. For pesticide residue detection, immunoassays constitute nowadays a valuable approach. This paper describes the synthesis of functionalized haptens of kresoxim-methyl, the production of monoclonal antibodies, and the development of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. On the one hand, a two-step conjugate-coated immunoassay was optimized using extended or short incubation times, with limits of detection of 0.4 ng/mL for the extended assay and 0.3 ng/mL for the rapid assay. On the other hand, an immunoassay was optimized following a procedure consisting of just one incubation step. This one-step assay had a limit of detection of 0.4 ng/mL. All of these assays showed a similar performance, with sensitivities well below common maximum residue limits for this pesticide (50 microg/kg) and lower than the detection limits of the usual chromatographic detection methods.

Hapten heterology for a specific and sensitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for organophosphorus insecticide fenthion

Five haptens with different spacer-arm attachment sites on the structure of the organophosphorus insecticide fenthion were designed and synthesized. All of the haptens were conjugated with ovalbumin (OVA) for the coating antigen, and three haptens containing all or most of the structure of fenthion were conjugated with bovine serum albumin (BSA) for the immunogen. Six polyclonal antisera were raised against the three BSA conjugates, and 30 antibody/coating conjugate combinations were selected for studies of assay sensitivity and specificity for fenthion. The study revealed the best combination with high sensitivity (I50 of 0.08 ng mL(-1)) and high assay specificity, which indicated that when structural difference between the analyte and an immunizing hapten is less than that between a coating hapten and the immunizing hapten, a high sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the heterologous system may stand a good chance to be developed. The immunity results showed that heterology in the hapten spacer-arm attachment site of the immunogen could achieve a remarkable improvement in the quantity, sensitivity, and/or specificity of antibody, and that the moiety of an analyte, which is the same as the moiety near/on the immunizing spacer-arm hapten attachment site, contributes greatly to the interaction of antibody and hapten.

Preparation of a multi-hapten antigen and broad specificity polyclonal antibodies for a multiple pesticide immunoassay

A multi-determinant artificial antigen was prepared by haptens of four pesticides (chlorpyrifos, triazophos, carbofuran and parathion methyl) conjugating to the carrier protein BSA in turn. Male New Zealand white rabbits were immunized with this multi-determinant immunogen to produce the polyclonal antibodies (PAbs), which can recognize the four pesticides. The PAbs displayed high level for each relative hapten-OVA conjugate, with the favorable titers of 4.49 x 10(4), 8.98 x 10(4), 2.24 x 10(4) and 1.86 x 10(4), for CHBu-OVA, THHe-OVA, BFNB-OVA and MP5-OVA, respectively. Characterization studies of the PcAbs showed that it has high affinity and specificity to the four relative pesticides. An indirect competitive ELISA was developed for multi-residue determination. The I(50) value for the four pesticides was 0.290, 0.065, 0.582 and 2.824 microg mL(-1), with the detection limit (I(10)) of 0.022, 0.005, 0.015 and 0.115 microg mL(-1) for carbofuran, triazophos, chlorpyrifos and parathion methyl, respectively. The linear rang was 0.016-2.000, 0.005-0.500, 0.010-2.000 and 0.063-5.000 microg mL(-1), respectively, for carbofuran, triazophos, chlorpyrifos and parathion methyl. Results indicated that, this study provided a new strategy to develop immunoassays through artificial antigen design for pesticides multi-residue determination.