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Grabka M, Jasek K, Witkiewicz Z. Surface Acoustic Wave Immunosensor for Detection of Botulinum Neurotoxin. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:7688. [PMID: 37765744 PMCID: PMC10534944 DOI: 10.3390/s23187688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
A Love-type acoustic wave sensor (AT-cut quartz substrate, SiO2 guiding layer) with a center frequency of approximately 120 MHz was used to detect a simulant of pathogenic botulinum neurotoxin type A-recombinant of BoNT-A light chain-in liquid samples. The sensor was prepared by immobilizing monoclonal antibodies specific for botulinum neurotoxin via a thiol monolayer deposited on a gold substrate. Studies have shown that the sensor enables selective analyte detection within a few minutes. In addition, the sensor can be used several times (regeneration of the sensor is possible using a low pH buffer). Nevertheless, the detectability of the analyte is relatively low compared to other analytical techniques that can be used for rapid detection of botulinum neurotoxin. The obtained results confirm the operation of the proposed sensor and give hope for further development of this label-free technique for detecting botulinum neurotoxin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Grabka
- Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Advanced Technologies and Chemistry, Military University of Technology, 00-908 Warsaw, Poland; (K.J.); (Z.W.)
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2
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Rasetti-Escargueil C, Popoff MR. Recent Developments in Botulinum Neurotoxins Detection. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10051001. [PMID: 35630444 PMCID: PMC9145529 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10051001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are produced as protein complexes by bacteria of the genus Clostridium that are Gram-positive, anaerobic and spore forming (Clostridium botulinum, C. butyricum, C. baratii and C. argentinense spp.). BoNTs show a high immunological and genetic diversity. Therefore, fast, precise, and more reliable detection methods are still required to monitor outbreaks and ensure surveillance of botulism. The botulinum toxin field also comprises therapeutic uses, basic research studies and biodefense issues. This review presents currently available detection methods, and new methods offering the potential of enhanced precision and reproducibility. While the immunological methods offer a range of benefits, such as rapid analysis time, reproducibility and high sensitivity, their implementation is subject to the availability of suitable tools and reagents, such as specific antibodies. Currently, the mass spectrometry approach is the most sensitive in vitro method for a rapid detection of active or inactive forms of BoNTs. However, these methods require inter-laboratory validation before they can be more widely implemented in reference laboratories. In addition, these surrogate in vitro models also require full validation before they can be used as replacement bioassays of potency. Cell-based assays using neuronal cells in culture recapitulate all functional steps of toxin activity, but are still at various stages of development; they are not yet sufficiently robust, due to high batch-to-batch cell variability. Cell-based assays have a strong potential to replace the mouse bioassay (MBA) in terms of BoNT potency determination in pharmaceutical formulations; they can also help to identify suitable inhibitors while reducing the number of animals used. However, the development of safe countermeasures still requires the use of in vivo studies to complement in vitro immunological or cell-based approaches.
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3
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Gao P, Wu C, Zhang J, Wang S, Huang Y, Dong Y, Liu T, Ye C, Xu X, Xin W. Evaluation and Optimization of Microdrop Digital PCR for Detection of Serotype A and B Clostridium botulinum. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:860992. [PMID: 35615503 PMCID: PMC9125207 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.860992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium botulinum is the causative pathogen of botulism. Laboratory detection of C. botulinum is essential for clinical therapy treatment of botulism due to the difficulty in diagnosis, especially in infant botulism. The extreme toxicity of botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) requires a sensitive detection method. Due to the detection limit of real-time quantitative PCR (q-PCR), a more sensitive detection method, micro-drop digital PCR (ddPCR) was applied in C. botulinum main serotypes A and B. The following performance criteria were evaluated by ddPCR: analytical sensitivity; repeatability; and diagnostic specificity. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.84 and 0.88 copies/μl for BoNT A and B genes, respectively, by ddPCR with high specificity, compared to 5.04×102 and 6.91×102 copies/μl by q-PCR. It was increased 10 times compared with q-PCR in spiked stool samples. This improvement in sensitivity was especially important in clinical samples as more positive samples were detected by digital PCR compared with q-PCR. Meanwhile, enrichment time for low bacteria content samples was shortened by four hours both in serotypes A and B C. botulinum by ddPCR compared with q-PCR, which are important for laboratory diagnosis and epidemiology work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengya Gao
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control and National Institute for Communicable Diseases Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Changde Wu
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- Criminal Investigation School, People's Public Security University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Shuping Wang
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
| | - Ying Huang
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control and National Institute for Communicable Diseases Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Yinping Dong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing, China
| | - Tingting Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Changyun Ye
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control and National Institute for Communicable Diseases Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Xuefang Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Infectious Disease Prevention and Control and National Institute for Communicable Diseases Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Xuefang Xu
| | - Wenwen Xin
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
- Wenwen Xin
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Lin Y, Jiang Y, Gong Z, Wang Y, Jiang M, Chen Q, Li C, Hu Q, Shi X. Investigation and Identification of Food Poisoning Caused by Clostridium botulinum Type B1 in Shenzhen, China. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2022; 19:226-231. [PMID: 35231189 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2021.0060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridium botulinum produces botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), which cause people who ingest them to become seriously ill and sometimes die. In recent years, sporadic food poisoning cases associated with C. botulinum have occurred across the world. In 2016, two men were admitted to our hospital in Shenzhen, China, with foodborne botulism. In this study, we report on these two typical C. botulinum-related food poisoning incidents and the steps taken to identify and characterize the causative pathogen. We characterized the bacterial pathogen isolated from the first patient using cooked meat medium and egg yolk agar bacterial cultures under anaerobic conditions, and morphologically identified the isolate using Gram staining. The in vivo bioassay results in mice showed that the minimum lethal dose of the BoNTs produced by our isolate was 0.001-0.0001 mg/mL (LD50 of the culture was estimated to be 1.5812 mg/kg). Whole genome sequencing (WGS) results showed that the isolate was identified as C. botulinum B1 Okra. The causative strain was successfully isolated from the intestinal lavage fluid collected from the initial patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiman Lin
- Shenzhen Major Infectious Disease Control Key Laboratory, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yixiang Jiang
- Shenzhen Major Infectious Disease Control Key Laboratory, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zelong Gong
- School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanli Wang
- The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Min Jiang
- Shenzhen Major Infectious Disease Control Key Laboratory, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qiongcheng Chen
- Shenzhen Major Infectious Disease Control Key Laboratory, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chunlian Li
- Shenzhen Major Infectious Disease Control Key Laboratory, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qinghua Hu
- Shenzhen Major Infectious Disease Control Key Laboratory, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaolu Shi
- Shenzhen Major Infectious Disease Control Key Laboratory, Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China
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5
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Duchesne de Lamotte J, Perrier A, Martinat C, Nicoleau C. Emerging Opportunities in Human Pluripotent Stem-Cells Based Assays to Explore the Diversity of Botulinum Neurotoxins as Future Therapeutics. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:7524. [PMID: 34299143 PMCID: PMC8308099 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are produced by Clostridium botulinum and are responsible for botulism, a fatal disorder of the nervous system mostly induced by food poisoning. Despite being one of the most potent families of poisonous substances, BoNTs are used for both aesthetic and therapeutic indications from cosmetic reduction of wrinkles to treatment of movement disorders. The increasing understanding of the biology of BoNTs and the availability of distinct toxin serotypes and subtypes offer the prospect of expanding the range of indications for these toxins. Engineering of BoNTs is considered to provide a new avenue for improving safety and clinical benefit from these neurotoxins. Robust, high-throughput, and cost-effective assays for BoNTs activity, yet highly relevant to the human physiology, have become indispensable for a successful translation of engineered BoNTs to the clinic. This review presents an emerging family of cell-based assays that take advantage of newly developed human pluripotent stem cells and neuronal function analyses technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliette Duchesne de Lamotte
- IPSEN Innovation, 91940 Les Ulis, France;
- I-STEM, INSERM UMR861, Université Evry-Paris Saclay, 91100 Corbeil-Essonne, France
| | - Anselme Perrier
- I-STEM, INSERM UMR861, Université Evry-Paris Saclay, 91100 Corbeil-Essonne, France
- Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, CEA/CNRS UMR9199, Université Paris Saclay, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Cécile Martinat
- I-STEM, INSERM UMR861, Université Evry-Paris Saclay, 91100 Corbeil-Essonne, France
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7
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Lim CY, Granger JH, Porter MD. SERS detection of Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin serotypes A and B in buffer and serum: Towards the development of a biodefense test platform. Anal Chim Acta X 2018; 1:100002. [PMID: 33186413 PMCID: PMC7587037 DOI: 10.1016/j.acax.2018.100002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are classified at a highest degree of threat in biodefense, due largely to their high lethality. With the growing risk of biowarfare, the shortcomings of the gold standard test for these neurotoxins, the mouse bioassay, have underscored the need to develop alternative diagnostic testing strategies. This paper reports on the detection of inactivated Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin serotype A (BoNT-A) and serotype B (BoNT-B), the two most important markers of botulism infection, by using a sandwich immunoassay, gold nanoparticle labels, and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) within the context of two threat scenarios. The first scenario mimics part of the analysis needed in response to a “white powder” threat by measuring both neurotoxins in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), a biocompatible solvent often used to recover markers dispersed in a powdered matrix. The second scenario detects the two neurotoxins in spiked human serum to assess the clinical potential of the platform. The overall goal is to develop a test applicable to both scenarios in terms of projections of required levels of detection. We demonstrate the ability to measure BoNT-A and BoNT-B in PBS at a limit of detection (LoD) of 700 pg/mL (5 pM) and 84 pg/mL (0.6 pM), respectively, and in human serum at 1200 pg/mL (8 pM) and 91 pg/mL (0.6 pM), respectively, with a time to result under 24 h. The steps required to transform this platform into an onsite biodefense screening tool that can simultaneously and rapidly detect (<1 h) these and other agents are briefly discussed. Raman-based immunoassays can successfully detect botulism neurotoxins. Limits of detection for botulism neurotoxins A/B rival those of the mouse bioassay. Serum and liquid extracts are suitable sample matrices for the Raman assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- China Y Lim
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112-5001, USA
| | - Jennifer H Granger
- Nano Institute of Utah, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112-5001, USA
| | - Marc D Porter
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112-5001, USA.,Nano Institute of Utah, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112-5001, USA.,Department of Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112-5001, USA
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8
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Tam CC, Flannery AR, Cheng LW. A Rapid, Sensitive, and Portable Biosensor Assay for the Detection of Botulinum Neurotoxin Serotype A in Complex Food Matrices. Toxins (Basel) 2018; 10:toxins10110476. [PMID: 30445734 PMCID: PMC6266793 DOI: 10.3390/toxins10110476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) intoxication can lead to the disease botulism, characterized by flaccid muscle paralysis that can cause respiratory failure and death. Due to the significant morbidity and mortality costs associated with BoNTs high toxicity, developing highly sensitive, rapid, and field-deployable assays are critically important to protect the nation’s food supply against either accidental or intentional contamination. We report here that the B-cell based biosensor assay CANARY® (Cellular Analysis and Notification of Antigen Risks and Yields) Zephyr detects BoNT/A holotoxin at limits of detection (LOD) of 10.0 ± 2.5 ng/mL in assay buffer. Milk matrices (whole milk, 2% milk and non-fat milk) with BoNT/A holotoxin were detected at similar levels (7.4–7.9 ng/mL). BoNT/A complex was positive in carrot, orange, and apple juices at LODs of 32.5–75.0 ng/mL. The detection of BoNT/A complex in solid complex foods (ground beef, smoked salmon, green bean baby puree) ranged from 14.8 ng/mL to 62.5 ng/mL. Detection of BoNT/A complex in the viscous liquid egg matrix required dilution in assay buffer and gave a LOD of 171.9 ± 64.7 ng/mL. These results show that the CANARY® Zephyr assay can be a highly useful qualitative tool in environmental and food safety surveillance programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina C Tam
- Foodborne Toxin Detection and Prevention Research Unit, Western Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Services, United States Department of Agriculture, 800 Buchanan Street, Albany, CA 94710, USA.
| | | | - Luisa W Cheng
- Foodborne Toxin Detection and Prevention Research Unit, Western Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Services, United States Department of Agriculture, 800 Buchanan Street, Albany, CA 94710, USA.
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9
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Duracova M, Klimentova J, Fucikova A, Dresler J. Proteomic Methods of Detection and Quantification of Protein Toxins. Toxins (Basel) 2018; 10:toxins10030099. [PMID: 29495560 PMCID: PMC5869387 DOI: 10.3390/toxins10030099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological toxins are a heterogeneous group of compounds that share commonalities with biological and chemical agents. Among them, protein toxins represent a considerable, diverse set. They cover a broad range of molecular weights from less than 1000 Da to more than 150 kDa. This review aims to compare conventional detection methods of protein toxins such as in vitro bioassays with proteomic methods, including immunoassays and mass spectrometry-based techniques and their combination. Special emphasis is given to toxins falling into a group of selected agents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, such as Staphylococcal enterotoxins, Bacillus anthracis toxins, Clostridium botulinum toxins, Clostridium perfringens epsilon toxin, ricin from Ricinus communis, Abrin from Abrus precatorius or control of trade in dual-use items in the European Union, including lesser known protein toxins such as Viscumin from Viscum album. The analysis of protein toxins and monitoring for biological threats, i.e., the deliberate spread of infectious microorganisms or toxins through water, food, or the air, requires rapid and reliable methods for the early identification of these agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miloslava Duracova
- Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defense in Brno, Třebešská 1575, CZ-500 01 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
| | - Jana Klimentova
- Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defense in Brno, Třebešská 1575, CZ-500 01 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
| | - Alena Fucikova
- Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defense in Brno, Třebešská 1575, CZ-500 01 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
| | - Jiri Dresler
- Military Health Institute, Military Medical Agency, Tychonova 1, CZ-160 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
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10
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Rust A, Doran C, Hart R, Binz T, Stickings P, Sesardic D, Peden AA, Davletov B. A Cell Line for Detection of Botulinum Neurotoxin Type B. Front Pharmacol 2017; 8:796. [PMID: 29170639 PMCID: PMC5684488 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) type A and type B are commonly used as biopharmaceutics for neurological diseases, uniquely allowing months-long paralysis of target muscles. Their exquisite neuronal specificity is conferred by a multistep process of binding, internalization, cytosolic escape and cleavage of the neuron-specific proteins, SNAP-25 and vesicle-associated membrane proteins (VAMPs), ultimately to inhibit secretion of neurotransmitters. Currently the mouse lethality bioassay is the only available method for quality control testing of VAMP-cleaving botulinum products. Refined assays for botulinum product testing are urgently needed. Specifically, in vitro replacement assays which can account for all steps of BoNT intoxication are in high demand. Here, we describe a novel SiMa cell-based approach where re-engineering of the VAMP molecule allows detection of all BoNT/B intoxication steps using a luminescent enzymatic reaction with sensitivity comparable to mouse LD50 bioassay. The presented one-step enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay meets 3Rs (replacement, reduction, and refinement of the use of animals) objectives, is user-friendly and will accelerate development of new botulinum drugs. The sensitive enzymatic reporter cell line could also be adapted for the detection of toxin activity during the manufacture of botulinum and tetanus vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksander Rust
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Ciara Doran
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Rosalyn Hart
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Binz
- Institut für Zellbiochemie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Paul Stickings
- Division of Bacteriology, National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Medicines and Healthcare Product Regulatory Agency, Potters Bar, United Kingdom
| | - Dorothea Sesardic
- Division of Bacteriology, National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Medicines and Healthcare Product Regulatory Agency, Potters Bar, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew A. Peden
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Bazbek Davletov
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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11
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Cheng LW, Henderson TD, Lam TI, Stanker LH. Use of Monoclonal Antibodies in the Sensitive Detection and Neutralization of Botulinum Neurotoxin Serotype B. Toxins (Basel) 2015; 7:5068-78. [PMID: 26633496 PMCID: PMC4690113 DOI: 10.3390/toxins7124863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Revised: 11/06/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) are some of nature’s most potent toxins. Due to potential food contamination, and bioterrorism concerns, the development of detection reagents, therapeutics and countermeasures are of urgent interest. Recently, we have developed a sensitive electrochemiluminescent (ECL) immunoassay for BoNT/B, using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) MCS6-27 and anti-BoNT/B rabbit polyclonal antibodies as the capture and detector. The ECL assay detected as little as 1 pg/mL BoNT/B in the buffer matrix, surpassing the detection sensitivities of the gold standard mouse bioassays. The ECL assay also allowed detection of BoNT/B in sera matrices of up to 100% sera with negligible matrix effects. This highly-sensitive assay allowed the determination of the biological half-lives of BoNT/B holotoxin in vivo. We further tested the toxin neutralization potential of our monoclonal antibodies using the mouse systemic and oral intoxication models. A combination of mAbs protected mice in both pre- and post-exposure models to lethal doses of BoNT/B. MAbs were capable of increasing survival of animals when administered even 10 h post-intoxication in an oral model, suggesting a likely time for BoNT/B complexes to reach the blood stream. More sensitive detection assays and treatments against BoNT intoxication will greatly enhance efforts to combat botulism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa W Cheng
- Foodborne Toxin Detection and Prevention Research Unit, Western Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Albany, CA 94710, USA.
| | - Thomas D Henderson
- Foodborne Toxin Detection and Prevention Research Unit, Western Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Albany, CA 94710, USA.
| | - Tina I Lam
- Gilead Sciences, Inc., Foster City, CA 94404, USA.
| | - Larry H Stanker
- Foodborne Toxin Detection and Prevention Research Unit, Western Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Albany, CA 94710, USA.
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12
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Lee J, Brennan MB, Wilton R, Rowland CE, Rozhkova EA, Forrester S, Hannah DC, Carlson J, Shevchenko EV, Schabacker DS, Schaller RD. Fast, Ratiometric FRET from Quantum Dot Conjugated Stabilized Single Chain Variable Fragments for Quantitative Botulinum Neurotoxin Sensing. NANO LETTERS 2015; 15:7161-7167. [PMID: 26397120 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b03442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) presents a significant hazard under numerous realistic scenarios. The standard detection scheme for this fast-acting toxin is a lab-based mouse lethality assay that is sensitive and specific, but slow (∼2 days) and requires expert administration. As such, numerous efforts have aimed to decrease analysis time and reduce complexity. Here, we describe a sensitive ratiometric fluorescence resonance energy transfer scheme that utilizes highly photostable semiconductor quantum dot (QD) energy donors and chromophore conjugation to compact, single chain variable antibody fragments (scFvs) to yield a fast, fieldable sensor for BoNT with a 20-40 pM detection limit, toxin quantification, adjustable dynamic range, sensitivity in the presence of interferents, and sensing times as fast as 5 min. Through a combination of mutations, we achieve stabilized scFv denaturation temperatures of more than 60 °C, which bolsters fieldability. We also describe adaptation of the assay into a microarray format that offers persistent monitoring, reuse, and multiplexing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joonseok Lee
- Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory , Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Melissa B Brennan
- Biosciences, Argonne National Laboratory , Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Rosemarie Wilton
- Biosciences, Argonne National Laboratory , Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Clare E Rowland
- Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory , Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University , Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Elena A Rozhkova
- Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory , Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Sara Forrester
- Global Security Sciences, Argonne National Laboratory , Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Daniel C Hannah
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University , Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Julia Carlson
- College of Agricultural & Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin , Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Elena V Shevchenko
- Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory , Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Daniel S Schabacker
- Global Security Sciences, Argonne National Laboratory , Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Richard D Schaller
- Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory , Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University , Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
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13
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Skinner GE, Fleischman GJ, Balster F, Reineke K, Reddy NR, Larkin JW. Effect of Fill Temperature on Clostridium botulinum Type A Toxin Activity during the Hot Filling of Juice Bottles. J Food Prot 2015; 78:1506-11. [PMID: 26219364 DOI: 10.4315/0362-028x.jfp-14-378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The potential threat of terrorist attacks against the United States food supply using neurotoxin produced by Clostridium botulinum (BoNT) has resulted in the need for studying the effect of various food process operations on the bioavailability of this toxin. The objective of this study was to evaluate C. botulinum type A neurotoxin bioavailability after a simulated hot fill juice bottling operation. C. botulinum type A acid mud toxin (∼10(6) mouse lethal dose [MLD50]/ml) was deposited into juice bottles at an experimentally determined fastest cooling spot. Bottles (12 or 20 oz [355 and 592 ml]) were filled with either apple juice or an orange drink, at 80 or 85°C, in either upright or inverted orientations. Toxicity of the juice was evaluated as a function of holding time (1 to 2 min) by the mouse bioassay. The fastest cooling point in the upright orientation was determined to be at a bottle's bottom rim. In the inverted orientation, the fastest cooling point was in the bottle cap region. With respect to these two points, the upright bottle cooled faster than the inverted bottle, which was reflected in a higher inactivation of BoNT in the latter. For the orange drink (pH 2.9) toxicity was reduced by 0.5 × 10(6) MLD50/ml to a nondetectable level after 1 min in all bottle sizes, orientations, and temperatures as measured by the mouse bioassay. This indicates that there was at least a 0.5 × 10(6) MLD50/ml reduction in activity. Inactivation in apple juice (pH 4.0), to the same degree as in the orange drink, was found only for the inverted orientation at 85°C. Complete inactivation in apple juice for all conditions was found at a lower added toxin level of 0.25 × 10(5) MLD50/ml. In general, bottle inversion and filling at 85°C provided complete inactivation of BoNT to the 0.5 × 10(6) MLD50/ml level. All experiments resulted in the inactivation of 2.5 × 10(4) MLD50/ml of BoNT regardless of juice type, fill temperature, or bottle orientation and size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy E Skinner
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 6502 South Archer Road, Bedford Park, Illinois 60501, USA; U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH), 6502 South Archer Road, Bedford Park, Illinois 60501, US.
| | - Gregory J Fleischman
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 6502 South Archer Road, Bedford Park, Illinois 60501, USA; U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH), 6502 South Archer Road, Bedford Park, Illinois 60501, US
| | - Fran Balster
- Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH), Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), 6502 South Archer Road, Bedford Park, Illinois 60501, USA; Illinois Department of Public Health (IFPH), 2121 Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Karl Reineke
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 6502 South Archer Road, Bedford Park, Illinois 60501, USAU.S. Food and Drug Administration, Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH), 6502 South Archer Road, Bedford Park, Illinois 60501, US
| | - N Rukma Reddy
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 6502 South Archer Road, Bedford Park, Illinois 60501, USAU.S. Food and Drug Administration, Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH), 6502 South Archer Road, Bedford Park, Illinois 60501, US
| | - John W Larkin
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 6502 South Archer Road, Bedford Park, Illinois 60501, USA; U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH), 6502 South Archer Road, Bedford Park, Illinois 60501; US National Center for Food Protection and Defense, Learning and Environmental Sciences Building, University of Minnesota, 1954 Buford Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
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14
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Saravanan P, Rajaseger G, Eric YPH, Moochhala S. Botulinum Toxin: Present Knowledge and Threats. BIOLOGICAL TOXINS AND BIOTERRORISM 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-5869-8_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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15
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Kwon SJ, Jeong EJ, Yoo YC, Cai C, Yang GH, Lee JC, Dordick JS, Linhardt RJ, Lee KB. High sensitivity detection of active botulinum neurotoxin by glyco-quantitative polymerase chain-reaction. Anal Chem 2014; 86:2279-84. [PMID: 24506443 PMCID: PMC3985614 DOI: 10.1021/ac500262d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
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The sensitive detection of highly
toxic botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT)
from Clostridium botulinum is of critical importance
because it causes human illnesses if foodborne or introduced in wounds
and as an iatrogenic substance. Moreover, it has been recently considered
a possible biological warfare agent. Over the past decade, significant
progress has been made in BoNT detection technologies, including mouse
lethality assays, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and endopeptidase
assays and by mass spectrometry. Critical assay requirements, including
rapid assay, active toxin detection, sensitive and accurate detection,
still remain challenging. Here, we present a novel method to detect
active BoNTs using a Glyco-quantitative polymerase chain-reaction
(qPCR) approach. Sialyllactose, which interacts with the binding-domain
of BoNTs, is incorporated into a sialyllactose-DNA conjugate as a
binding-probe for active BoNT and recovered through BoNT-immunoprecipitation.
Glyco-qPCR analysis of the bound sialyllactose-DNA is then used to
detect low attomolar concentrations of BoNT and attomolar to femtomolar
concentrations of BoNT in honey, the most common foodborne source
of infant botulism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seok Joon Kwon
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, and Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute , Troy, New York 12180, United States
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16
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Yoon SY, Chung GT, Kang DH, Ryu C, Yoo CK, Seong WK. Application of Real-Time PCR for Quantitative Detection ofClostridium botulinumType A Toxin Gene in Food. Microbiol Immunol 2013; 49:505-11. [PMID: 15965297 DOI: 10.1111/j.1348-0421.2005.tb03755.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The TaqMan real-time PCR method for the quantitative detection of C. botulinum type A was developed based on sequence-specific hybridization probes. The validity of this assay was verified by using 10 genera of 20 strains, including reference strains of C. botulinum types A, B, C, D, E and F. The detection limit of this assay was evaluated on C. botulinum type A, using a 10-fold dilution series of DNA and spores . The DNA and spores were detected up to level of 0.1 ng/ml and 10(2)spores/ml, respectively. Spore spiked food sample preparation prior to the real-time PCR was performed by two methods, heat treatment and GuSCN. The detection limits after heat treatment showed 10(2) spores/ml for spiked sausage slurry, and 10(3) spores/ml for spiked canned corn slurry, while detection limits after GuSCN precipitation showed 10(2) spores/ml in both sausage and canned corn. Therefore the real-time PCR assay after GuSCN precipitation is useful for the quantification of C. botulinum type A because it showed identical CT values in both pure spore solutions and food slurries. We suggest that quantitative analysis of C. botulinum type A by TaqMan real-time PCR can be a rapid and accurate assessment method for botulinal risk in food samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- So-Yeon Yoon
- Research Center for Pathogen Control, Department of Bacteriology, National Institute of Health, 5-Nokbun-dong, Eunpyung-gu, Seoul, Korea
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17
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RNA aptasensor for rapid detection of natively folded type A botulinum neurotoxin. Talanta 2013; 117:273-80. [PMID: 24209341 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2013.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2013] [Revised: 09/06/2013] [Accepted: 09/06/2013] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
A surface plasmon resonance based RNA aptasensor for rapid detection of natively folded type A botulinum neurotoxin is reported. Using detoxified recombinant type A botulinum neurotoxin as the surrogate, the aptasensor detects active toxin within 90 min. The detection limit of the aptasensor in phosphate buffered saline, carrot juice, and fat free milk is 5.8 ng/ml, 20.3 ng/ml and 23.4 ng/ml, respectively, while that in 5-fold diluted human serum is 22.5 ng/ml. Recovery of toxin from disparate sample matrices are within 91-116%. Most significant is the ability of this aptasensor to effectively differentiate the natively folded toxin from denatured, inactive toxin, which is important for homeland security surveillance and threat assessment. The aptasensor is stable for more than 30 days and over 400 injections/regeneration cycles. Such an aptasensor holds great promise for rapid detection of active botulinum neurotoxin for field surveillance due to its robustness, stability and reusability.
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18
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Luo S, Li T, Wang Q, Tian R, Liu H, Fang H, Chen F, Wang H. Development of a fusion protein SNVP as substrate for assaying multi-serotype botulinum neurotoxins. Anal Biochem 2013; 463:75-81. [PMID: 23851341 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2013.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2012] [Revised: 06/19/2013] [Accepted: 06/24/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The SNARE super family has three core members, namely SNAP-25, VAMP-2, and syntaxin. SNAP-25 is cleaved by botulinum toxins (BoNTs)/A, /C, and /E, whereas VAMP-2 is the substrate for proteolytic BoNTs/B, /D, /F, and /G. In this study, we constructed a hybrid gene encoding the fusion protein SNVP that encompasses SNAP-25 residues Met1 to Gly206 and VAMP-2 residues Met1 to Lys94. The hybrid gene was cloned in a prokaryotic vector carrying an N-terminal pelB signal sequence and overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) Rosetta. To easily purify the protein, 6× His double-affinity tags were designed as the linker and C terminus of the fusion protein. SNVP was purified to homogeneity by affinity chromatography on a HisTrap FF column and determined to be more than 97% pure by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. N-terminal sequencing of the purified protein showed that signal peptide was successfully removed. The fusion protein SNVP contained the protease cleavage sites of all seven serotypes of BoNTs. SNVP was also proved to be recognized and cleaved by the endopeptidase of BoNTs (BoNT/A-LC, BoNT/B-LC, BoNT/E-LC, and BoNT/G-LC). The novel fusion substrate SNVP exhibited high biological activity under the optimal conditions, suggesting its potential use as a reagent for BoNT assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, PR China; Department of Microbiology, An Hui Medical University, An Hui 230032, PR China
| | - Tao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, PR China
| | - Qin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, PR China
| | - Renmao Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, PR China
| | - Hao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, PR China
| | - Huali Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, PR China
| | - Fanghong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, PR China
| | - Hui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogens and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, PR China.
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19
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Cheng LW, Stanker LH. Detection of botulinum neurotoxin serotypes A and B using a chemiluminescent versus electrochemiluminescent immunoassay in food and serum. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2013; 61:755-60. [PMID: 23265581 PMCID: PMC3598631 DOI: 10.1021/jf3041963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are some of the most potent biological toxins. High-affinity monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been developed for the detection of BoNT serotypes A and B using a chemiluminescent capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In an effort to improve toxin detection levels in complex matrices such as food and sera, we evaluated the performance of existing antitoxin mAbs using a new electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunoassay platform developed by Meso Scale Discovery. In side-by-side comparisons, the limits of detection (LODs) observed for ELISA and the ECL immunoassay for BoNT/A were 12 and 3 pg/mL, and for BoNT/B, they were 17 and 13 pg/mL, respectively. Both the ELISA and the ECL method were more sensitive than the "gold standard" mouse bioassay. The ECL assay outperformed ELISA in detection sensitivity in most of the food matrices fortified with BoNT/A and in some foods spiked with BoNT/B. Both the ELISA and the ECL immunoassay platforms are fast, simple alternatives for use in the routine detection of BoNTs in food and animal sera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa W. Cheng
- Corresponding author (L.W.C.) Tel: 510-559-6337; Fax: 510-559-5880; ; (L.H.S)
| | - Larry H. Stanker
- Corresponding author (L.W.C.) Tel: 510-559-6337; Fax: 510-559-5880; ; (L.H.S)
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20
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Fernández-Salas E, Wang J, Molina Y, Nelson JB, Jacky BPS, Aoki KR. Botulinum neurotoxin serotype A specific cell-based potency assay to replace the mouse bioassay. PLoS One 2012. [PMID: 23185348 PMCID: PMC3504020 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Botulinum neurotoxin serotype A (BoNT/A), a potent therapeutic used to treat various disorders, inhibits vesicular neurotransmitter exocytosis by cleaving SNAP25. Development of cell-based potency assays (CBPAs) to assess the biological function of BoNT/A have been challenging because of its potency. CBPAs can evaluate the key steps of BoNT action: receptor binding, internalization-translocation, and catalytic activity; and therefore could replace the current mouse bioassay. Primary neurons possess appropriate sensitivity to develop potential replacement assays but those potency assays are difficult to perform and validate. This report describes a CBPA utilizing differentiated human neuroblastoma SiMa cells and a sandwich ELISA that measures BoNT/A-dependent intracellular increase of cleaved SNAP25. Assay sensitivity is similar to the mouse bioassay and measures neurotoxin biological activity in bulk drug substance and BOTOX® product (onabotulinumtoxinA). Validation of a version of this CBPA in a Quality Control laboratory has led to FDA, Health Canada, and European Union approval for potency testing of BOTOX®, BOTOX® Cosmetic, and Vistabel®. Moreover, we also developed and optimized a BoNT/A CBPA screening assay that can be used for the discovery of novel BoNT/A inhibitors to treat human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Fernández-Salas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Allergan Inc., Irvine, California, United States of America.
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21
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Wang D, Baudys J, Ye Y, Rees JC, Barr JR, Pirkle JL, Kalb SR. Improved detection of botulinum neurotoxin serotype A by Endopep-MS through peptide substrate modification. Anal Biochem 2012; 432:115-23. [PMID: 23017875 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2012.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2012] [Revised: 09/10/2012] [Accepted: 09/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are a family of seven toxin serotypes that are the most toxic substances known to humans. Intoxication with BoNT causes flaccid paralysis and can lead to death if untreated with serotype-specific antibodies. Supportive care, including ventilation, may be necessary. Rapid and sensitive detection of BoNT is necessary for timely clinical confirmation of clinical botulism. Previously, our laboratory developed a fast and sensitive mass spectrometry (MS) method termed the Endopep-MS assay. The BoNT serotypes are rapidly detected and differentiated by extracting the toxin with serotype-specific antibodies and detecting the unique and serotype-specific cleavage products of peptide substrates that mimic the sequence of the BoNT native targets. To further improve the sensitivity of the Endopep-MS assay, we report here the optimization of the substrate peptide for the detection of BoNT/A. Modifications on the terminal groups of the original peptide substrate with acetylation and amidation significantly improved the detection of BoNT/A cleavage products. The replacement of some internal amino acid residues with single or multiple substitutions led to further improvement. An optimized peptide increased assay sensitivity 5-fold with toxin spiked into buffer solution or different biological matrices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongxia Wang
- National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
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22
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Vasa M, Baudendistel TE, Ohikhuare CE, Grace EM, Yan W, Josephson SA, Tierney LM. Clinical problem-solving. The eyes have it. N Engl J Med 2012; 367:938-43. [PMID: 22931263 DOI: 10.1056/nejmcps1105394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Miten Vasa
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Orange, CA 92868, USA.
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23
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Singh AK, Stanker LH, Sharma SK. Botulinum neurotoxin: where are we with detection technologies? Crit Rev Microbiol 2012; 39:43-56. [PMID: 22676403 DOI: 10.3109/1040841x.2012.691457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Because of its high toxicity, botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) poses a significant risk to humans and it represents a possible biological warfare agent. Nevertheless, BoNT serotypes A and B are considered an effective treatment for a variety of neurological disorders. The growing applicability of BoNT as a drug, and its potential use as a biological threat agent, highlight the urgent need to develop sensitive detection assays and therapeutic counter measures. In the last decade, significant progress has been made in BoNT detection technologies but none have fully replaced the mouse lethality assay, the current "gold standard". Recently, new advances in robotics and the availability of new reagents have allowed development of methods for rapid toxin analysis. These technologies while promising need further refinement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajay K Singh
- Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, College Park, MD 20740, USA
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24
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Dorner MB, Schulz KM, Kull S, Dorner BG. Complexity of Botulinum Neurotoxins: Challenges for Detection Technology. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-662-45790-0_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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25
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Lei H, Liu J, Song L, Shen Y, Haughey SA, Guo H, Yang J, Xu Z, Jiang Y, Sun Y. Development of a highly sensitive and specific immunoassay for determining chrysoidine, a banned dye, in soybean milk film. Molecules 2011; 16:7043-57. [PMID: 21849932 PMCID: PMC6264186 DOI: 10.3390/molecules16087043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2011] [Revised: 08/07/2011] [Accepted: 08/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A highly specific and sensitive indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA)was developed for the first time for the detection of chrysoidine, a dye banned in soybean milk film. Two haptens with different spacer arms were synthesized to produce antibodies. Both homologous and heterologous immunoassay formats were compared to enhance the icELISA sensitivity. The heterologous icELISA exhibited better performance, with an IC(50) (50% inhibitory concentration) of 0.33 ng/mL, a limit of detection (LOD, 10% inhibitory concentration) of 0.04 ng/mL, and a limit of quantitation (LOQ, 20%-80% inhibitory concentration) from 0.09 to 4.9 ng/mL. The developed icELISA was high sensitive and specific, and was applied to determine chrysoidine in fortified soybean milk film samples. The results were in good agreement with that obtained by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongtao Lei
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, Guangdong, China; (H.L.); (J.L.); (L.S.); (Y.S.); (H.G.); (J.Y.); (Z.X.)
| | - Jin Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, Guangdong, China; (H.L.); (J.L.); (L.S.); (Y.S.); (H.G.); (J.Y.); (Z.X.)
| | - Lijun Song
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, Guangdong, China; (H.L.); (J.L.); (L.S.); (Y.S.); (H.G.); (J.Y.); (Z.X.)
| | - Yudong Shen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, Guangdong, China; (H.L.); (J.L.); (L.S.); (Y.S.); (H.G.); (J.Y.); (Z.X.)
| | - Simon A. Haughey
- Institute of Agri-Food and Land Use, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 5AG, Northern Ireland, UK; (S.A.H.)
| | - Haoxian Guo
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, Guangdong, China; (H.L.); (J.L.); (L.S.); (Y.S.); (H.G.); (J.Y.); (Z.X.)
| | - Jinyi Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, Guangdong, China; (H.L.); (J.L.); (L.S.); (Y.S.); (H.G.); (J.Y.); (Z.X.)
| | - Zhenlin Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, Guangdong, China; (H.L.); (J.L.); (L.S.); (Y.S.); (H.G.); (J.Y.); (Z.X.)
| | - Yueming Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuanming Sun
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, Guangdong, China; (H.L.); (J.L.); (L.S.); (Y.S.); (H.G.); (J.Y.); (Z.X.)
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26
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Wang D, Baudys J, Kalb SR, Barr JR. Improved detection of botulinum neurotoxin type A in stool by mass spectrometry. Anal Biochem 2011; 412:67-73. [PMID: 21276417 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2011.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2010] [Revised: 01/19/2011] [Accepted: 01/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are the most toxic substances known to humankind. Rapid and sensitive detection of BoNTs is necessary for timely clinical confirmation of the disease state in botulism. BoNTs cleave proteins and peptide mimics at specific sites. A mass spectrometry (MS)-based method, Endopep-MS, can detect these cleavages and has detection limits of 0.05-0.5 mouse LD(50) (U) in serum, depending on the BoNT serotypes. In this method, the products generated from cleavage of peptide substrates using antibody affinity-purified toxins are detected by MS. Nonspecific bound endogenous proteases or peptidases in stool can coextract with the toxin, cleaving the peptide substrates and reducing the sensitivity of the method. Here we report a method to reduce nonspecific substrate cleavage by reducing stool protease coextraction in the Endopep-MS assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongxia Wang
- National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
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27
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28
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Abstract
Sensitive and rapid detection of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), the most poisonous substances known to date, is essential for studies of medical applications of BoNTs and detection of poisoned food, as well as for response to potential bioterrorist threats. Currently, the most common method of BoNT detection is the mouse bioassay. While this assay is sensitive, it is slow, quite expensive, has limited throughput and requires sacrificing animals. Herein, we discuss and compare recently developed alternative in vitro detection methods and assess their ability to supplement or replace the mouse bioassay in the analysis of complex matrix samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petr Čapek
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA;
| | - Tobin J. Dickerson
- Department of Chemistry and Worm Institute for Research and Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; ; Tel.: +1-858-784-2522; Fax: +1-858-784-2590
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29
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Čapek P, Dickerson TJ. Sensing the deadliest toxin: technologies for botulinum neurotoxin detection. Toxins (Basel) 2010; 2:24-53. [PMID: 22069545 PMCID: PMC3206617 DOI: 10.3390/toxins2020024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2009] [Revised: 12/17/2009] [Accepted: 12/22/2009] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensitive and rapid detection of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), the most poisonous substances known to date, is essential for studies of medical applications of BoNTs and detection of poisoned food, as well as for response to potential bioterrorist threats. Currently, the most common method of BoNT detection is the mouse bioassay. While this assay is sensitive, it is slow, quite expensive, has limited throughput and requires sacrificing animals. Herein, we discuss and compare recently developed alternative in vitro detection methods and assess their ability to supplement or replace the mouse bioassay in the analysis of complex matrix samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petr Čapek
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA;
| | - Tobin J. Dickerson
- Department of Chemistry and Worm Institute for Research and Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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Moghaddam MM, Mousavi L, Shokrgozar MA, Amani J, Nazariyan S, Azari S. Cloning and expression of a region of vesicle associated membrane protein2 (VAMP2) gene and its use as a recombinant peptide substrate for assaying clostridial neurotoxins in contaminated biologicals. Biologicals 2009; 38:113-9. [PMID: 20005125 DOI: 10.1016/j.biologicals.2009.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2009] [Revised: 04/08/2009] [Accepted: 04/11/2009] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
An assay for the endopeptidase activities of clostridial neurotoxins in contaminated biotherapeutic products has been developed. Based on a synthetic peptide substrate representing amino acid residues 60-94 of the intracellular vesicle associated membrane protein2 (VAMP2), RT-PCR was used to amplify the VAMP2 sequence. The extended insert was digested with EcoRI and SalI and ligated into pGEX4T-1 vector for construction of the pGEX4T-1/VAMP plasmid for expressing in Escherichia coli a fusion protein linked to glutathione S-transferase (GST). The fusion protein was purified by affinity chromatography and used in an ELISA assay for comparison with the commercially available synthetic VAMP peptide and rabbit polyclonal antiserum. The identity of the immunoreactivity of recombinant VAMP2 protein with the chemically synthesized peptide was demonstrated by western blot. Our results indicated that recombinant VAMP2 peptide not only reacted with specific polyclonal antibody in a dose-dependent manner, without any remarkable difference observed between the reactivity of the fusion protein and commercial VAMP2 segment peptide, but also cleaved by botulinum neurotoxin type B (BONT/B) after endopeptidase assay. Thus, recombinant VAMP2 could serve as a replacement for VAMP2 synthetic peptide, potentially useful in endopeptidase assays for replacement of the currently used mouse bioassay for clostridial neurotoxins contaminating biotherapeutic products.
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Sun S, Ossandon M, Kostov Y, Rasooly A. Lab-on-a-chip for botulinum neurotoxin a (BoNT-A) activity analysis. LAB ON A CHIP 2009; 9:3275-81. [PMID: 19865736 PMCID: PMC2849933 DOI: 10.1039/b912097a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
A Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) was designed, fabricated and tested for the in vitro detection of botulinum neurotoxin serotype A (BoNT-A) activity using an assay that measures cleavage of a fluorophore-tagged peptide substrate specific for BoNT-A (SNAP-25) by the toxin light chain (LcA). LcA cleavage was detected by Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) fluorescence. FRET fluorescence was measured by a newly developed portable charge-coupled device (CCD) fluorescent detector equipped with multi-wavelength light-emitting diodes (LED) illumination. An eight V-junction microchannel device for BoNTs activity assays was constructed using Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM) technology. The six-layer device was fabricated with a Poly(methyl methacrylate (PMMA) core and five polycarbonate (PC) layers micromachined by CO2 laser. The LOC is operated by syringe and is equipped with reagents, sample wells, reaction wells, diffusion traps (to avoid cross contamination among channels) and waste reservoirs. The system was detected LcA at concentrations as low as 0.5 nM, which is the reported sensitivity of the SNAP-25 in vitro cleavage assay. Combined with our CCD detector, the simple point of care system enables the detection of BoNTs activity and may be useful for the performance of other complex medical assays without a laboratory. This approach may realize the potential to enhance the quality of health care delivery for underserved populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Sun
- Division of Biology, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, FDA, NIH/NCI, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA6130 Executive Blvd. EPN, Room 6035A Rockville, 20852; Fax: (+301) 402-7819; Tel: (+301) 402-4185
- Center for Advanced Sensor Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, MD, 21250
| | - Miguel Ossandon
- Cancer Diagnosis Program, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, 20892
| | - Yordan Kostov
- Center for Advanced Sensor Technology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, MD, 21250
| | - Avraham Rasooly
- Division of Biology, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, FDA, NIH/NCI, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA6130 Executive Blvd. EPN, Room 6035A Rockville, 20852; Fax: (+301) 402-7819; Tel: (+301) 402-4185
- Cancer Diagnosis Program, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, 20892
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Tavakoli HR, Meshgi MA, Jafari NJ, Izadi M, Ranjbar R, Fooladi AAI. A survey of traditional Iranian food products for contamination with toxigenic Clostridium botulinum. J Infect Public Health 2009; 2:91-5. [PMID: 20701867 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2009.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2008] [Revised: 03/09/2009] [Accepted: 03/13/2009] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to determine the rate of Clostridium botulinum contamination in some traditional Iranian food products (cheese, kashk and salted fish) and evaluate the efficacy of the mouse bioassay method in detection of C. botulinum toxins in these foods. A total of 131 samples (57 cheese, 11 kashk and 63 salted fish) were collected and examined to determine the rate of contamination by C. botulinum. Standard monovalent anti-toxins were used to determine the types of toxin. C. botulinum bacteria were detected in 4.58% of the examined samples (1.52% of cheese and 3.06% of salted fish samples). While no contamination was detected in the kashk samples, C. botulinum types A and E were found to be dominant in cheese and salted fish samples, respectively. These results indicate-some traditional Iranian foods may be contaminated with different types of C. botulinum, and the consumption of these products, either raw or cooked, may contribute to food-borne intoxications.
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Affiliation(s)
- H R Tavakoli
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Health School, and Health Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Detection and quantification of botulinum neurotoxin type a by a novel rapid in vitro fluorimetric assay. Appl Environ Microbiol 2009; 75:4382-90. [PMID: 19429547 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00091-09] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A), the most poisonous substance known to humans, is a potential bioterrorism agent. The light-chain protein induces a flaccid paralysis through cleavage of the 25-kDa synaptosome-associated protein (SNAP-25), involved in acetylcholine release at the neuromuscular junction. BoNT/A is widely used as a therapeutic agent and to reduce wrinkles. The toxin is used at very low doses, which have to be accurately quantified. With this aim, internally quenched fluorescent substrates containing the fluorophore/repressor pair pyrenylalanine (Pya)/4-nitrophenylalanine (Nop) were developed. Nop and Pya were, respectively, introduced at positions 197 and 200 of the cleavable fragment (amino acids 187 to 203) of SNAP-25 (with norleucine at position 202 [Nle(202)]), which is acetylated at its N terminus and amidated at its C terminus. Cleavage of this peptide occurred between positions 197 and 198, as in SNAP-25, and was easily quantified by the strong fluorescence emission of the metabolite. To increase the assay sensitivity, the peptide sequence of the previous substrate was lengthened to account for exosite binding to BoNT/A. We synthesized the peptide PL50 (SNAP-25-NH(2) acetylated at positions 156 to 203 [Nop(197), Pya(200), Nle(202)]) and its analogue PL51, in which all methionines were replaced by nonoxidizable Nle. Consistent with a large increase in affinity for BoNT/A, PL50 and PL51 exhibit catalytic efficiencies of 2.6 x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1) and 8.85 x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1), respectively, and behave as the best fluorigenic substrates of BoNT/A reported to date. Under optimized assay conditions, they allow simple quantification of as little as 100 and 60 pg of BoNT/A, respectively, within 2 h with a classical fluorimeter. Calibration of the method against the mouse 50% lethal dose assay unequivocally validates the enzymatic assay.
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A fluorescence detection platform using spatial electroluminescent excitation for measuring botulinum neurotoxin A activity. Biosens Bioelectron 2008; 24:618-25. [PMID: 18644709 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2008.06.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2008] [Revised: 04/23/2008] [Accepted: 06/04/2008] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Current biodetection illumination technologies (laser, LED, tungsten lamp, etc.) are based on spot illumination with additional optics required when spatial excitation is required. Herein we describe a new approach of spatial illumination based on electroluminescence (EL) semiconductor strips available in several wavelengths, greatly simplifying the biosensor design by eliminating the need for additional optics. This work combines EL excitation with charge-coupled device (CCD) based detection (EL-CCD detector) of fluorescence for developing a simple portable detector for botulinum neurotoxin A (BoTN-A) activity analysis. A Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) activity assay for BoTN-A was used to both characterize and optimize the EL-CCD detector. The system consists of two modules: (1) the detection module which houses the CCD camera and emission filters, and (2) the excitation and sample module, containing the EL strip, the excitation filter and the 9-well sample chip. The FRET activity assay used in this study utilized a FITC/DABCYL-SNAP-25 peptide substrate in which cleavage of the substrate by BoTN-A, or its light chain derivative (LcA), produced an increase in fluorescence emission. EL-CCD detector measured limits of detection (LODs) were similar to those measured using a standard fluorescent plate reader with valves between 0.625 and 1.25 nM (31-62 ng/ml) for LcA and 0.313 nM (45 ng/ml) for the full toxin, BoTN-A. As far as the authors are aware this is the first demonstration of phosphor-based EL strips being used for the spatial illumination/excitation of a surface, coupled with CCD for point of care detection.
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Development of an in vitro activity assay as an alternative to the mouse bioassay for Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin type A. Appl Environ Microbiol 2008; 74:4309-13. [PMID: 18515481 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00617-08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, the only accepted assay with which to detect active Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin is an in vivo mouse bioassay. The mouse bioassay is sensitive and robust and does not require specialized equipment. However, the mouse bioassay is slow and not practical in many settings, and it results in the death of animals. Here, we describe an in vitro cleavage assay for SNAP-25 (synaptosome-associated proteins of 25 kDa) for measuring the toxin activity with the same sensitivity as that of the mouse bioassay. Moreover, this assay is far more rapid, can be automated and adapted to many laboratory settings, and has the potential to be used for toxin typing. The assay has two main steps. The first step consists of immunoseparation and concentration of the toxin, using immunomagnetic beads with monoclonal antibodies directed against the 100-kDa heavy chain subunit, and the second step consists of a cleavage assay targeting the SNAP-25 peptide of the toxin, labeled with fluorescent dyes and detected as a fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay. Our results suggest that the sensitivity of this assay is 10 pg/ml, which is similar to the sensitivity of the mouse bioassay, and this test can detect the activity of the toxin in carrot juice and beef. These results suggest that the assay has a potential use as an alternative to the mouse bioassay for analysis of C. botulinum type A neurotoxin.
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Volland H, Lamourette P, Nevers MC, Mazuet C, Ezan E, Neuburger LM, Popoff M, Créminon C. A sensitive sandwich enzyme immunoassay for free or complexed Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin type A. J Immunol Methods 2008; 330:120-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2007.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2007] [Revised: 10/17/2007] [Accepted: 11/14/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Park DJJ, Harrison AR. Oculoplastic applications of botulinum toxin. EXPERT REVIEW OF OPHTHALMOLOGY 2007. [DOI: 10.1586/17469899.2.4.571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Kasai Y, Kimura B, Tajima Y, Fujii T. Quantitative Duplex PCR of Clostridium botulinum Types A and B Neurotoxin Genes. Food Hygiene and Safety Science (Shokuhin Eiseigaku Zasshi) 2007; 48:19-26. [PMID: 17370613 DOI: 10.3358/shokueishi.48.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
A duplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for Clostridium botulinum types A and B was developed. The sensitivity and specificity of the assay were verified by using 6 strains of type A, 7 strains of type B, and 14 genera of 42 non-C. botulinum types A and B strains, including C. botulinum types C, D, E, F, and G. In pure culture, the detection limit was 10(2) CFU/ mL for type A and 10(3) CFU/mL for type B. In mushroom broth, increases in the amounts of C. botulinum types A and B could be monitored separately (the quantifiable range was 10(2) to 10(6) for type A and 10(2) to 10(7) for type B) from each sample that contained a large number of background bacteria, and toxin could be detected much earlier than with mouse assay. These results suggest that duplex quantitative PCR methods are useful to detect and quantify C. botulinum types A and/ or B toxin genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiaki Kasai
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Marine Science, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology: 4-5-7, Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan
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Abstract
Botulism is a potentially lethal paralytic disease caused by botulinum neurotoxin. Human pathogenic neurotoxins of types A, B, E, and F are produced by a diverse group of anaerobic spore-forming bacteria, including Clostridium botulinum groups I and II, Clostridium butyricum, and Clostridium baratii. The routine laboratory diagnostics of botulism is based on the detection of botulinum neurotoxin in the patient. Detection of toxin-producing clostridia in the patient and/or the vehicle confirms the diagnosis. The neurotoxin detection is based on the mouse lethality assay. Sensitive and rapid in vitro assays have been developed, but they have not yet been appropriately validated on clinical and food matrices. Culture methods for C. botulinum are poorly developed, and efficient isolation and identification tools are lacking. Molecular techniques targeted to the neurotoxin genes are ideal for the detection and identification of C. botulinum, but they do not detect biologically active neurotoxin and should not be used alone. Apart from rapid diagnosis, the laboratory diagnostics of botulism should aim at increasing our understanding of the epidemiology and prevention of the disease. Therefore, the toxin-producing organisms should be routinely isolated from the patient and the vehicle. The physiological group and genetic traits of the isolates should be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miia Lindström
- Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 66, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
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Kalb SR, Moura H, Boyer AE, McWilliams LG, Pirkle JL, Barr JR. The use of Endopep-MS for the detection of botulinum toxins A, B, E, and F in serum and stool samples. Anal Biochem 2006; 351:84-92. [PMID: 16500606 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2006.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2005] [Revised: 01/12/2006] [Accepted: 01/13/2006] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) causes the disease botulism, which can be lethal if untreated. Previous work in our laboratory focused on developing Endopep-MS, a mass spectrometric-based endopeptidase method for the detection and differentiation of BoNT serotypes. We have expanded this effort to include an antibody capture method to partially purify and concentrate BoNT from serum and stool extract samples for the Endopep-MS assay. Because complex matrices such as serum and stool contain abundant endogenous proteases, this technique was needed to remove most proteases from the sample while concentrating BoNT from a sample size of 100 to 500 microl to 20 microl. When this antibody capture method is combined with the Endopep-MS reaction, limits of detection in 500mul of spiked human serum are 10 mouse LD50 (20 mouse LD50/ml) for BoNT A, 0.5 mouse LD50 (1 mouse LD50/ml) for BoNT B, 0.1 mouse LD50 (0.2 mouse LD50/ml) for BoNT E, and 0.5 mouse LD50 (1 mouse LD50/ml) for BoNT F. The limits of detection in spiked stool extracts are somewhat higher due to the high-protease environment of stool extract that also requires use of protease inhibitors. The entire method can be performed in as short a time as 4 h.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne R Kalb
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
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Barr JR, Moura H, Boyer AE, Woolfitt AR, Kalb SR, Pavlopoulos A, McWilliams LG, Schmidt JG, Martinez RA, Ashley DL. Botulinum neurotoxin detection and differentiation by mass spectrometry. Emerg Infect Dis 2006; 11:1578-83. [PMID: 16318699 PMCID: PMC3366733 DOI: 10.3201/eid1110.041279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A new rapid, mass spectrometry-based method to detect and differentiate botulinal neurotoxins is described. Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are proteases that cleave specific cellular proteins essential for neurotransmitter release. Seven BoNT serotypes (A–G) exist; 4 usually cause human botulism (A, B, E, and F). We developed a rapid, mass spectrometry–based method (Endopep-MS) to detect and differentiate active BoNTs A, B, E, and F. This method uses the highly specific protease activity of the toxins with target peptides specific for each toxin serotype. The product peptides derived from the endopeptidase activities of BoNTs are detected by matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. In buffer, this method can detect toxin equivalents of as little as 0.01 mouse lethal dose (MLD)50 and concentrations as low as 0.62 MLD50/mL. A high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method for quantifying active toxin, where the amount of toxin can be correlated to the amount of product peptides, is also described.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R Barr
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, USA.
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Abstract
Botulinum toxin is regarded as the most lethal substance known. It is estimated that the human LD50 for inhalation botulism is 1 to 3 nanograms of toxin/kilogram body mass. Although only three cases of inhalational botulism have been described, an understanding of the pathophysiology of food-borne outbreaks, wound botulism, and infant botulism, and their therapies, enables the medical community to plan treatment in the event of an aerosol release of botulinum toxin. Antitoxin, vaccine, and F(ab')2 immune fragment therapies are discussed as adjuncts to supportive therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Zane Horowitz
- Oregon Health and Sciences University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
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Scarlatos A, Welt BA, Cooper BY, Archer D, DeMarse T, Chau KV. Methods for Detecting Botulinum Toxin with Applicability to Screening Foods Against Biological Terrorist Attacks. J Food Sci 2005. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2621.2005.tb11525.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Guglielmo-Viret V, Attrée O, Blanco-Gros V, Thullier P. Comparison of electrochemiluminescence assay and ELISA for the detection of Clostridium botulinum type B neurotoxin. J Immunol Methods 2005; 301:164-72. [PMID: 15979637 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2005.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2004] [Revised: 04/04/2005] [Accepted: 04/23/2005] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We compared the ELISA and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) immunoassay technologies for the detection of botulinum type B neurotoxin (BotNT B), which requires highly sensitive techniques due to its potent biological activity. BotNT B complexes are the naturally secreted form of the toxin, approximately a third of which consists of the neurotoxin itself; they were aliquoted and frozen for this study. Results of both techniques were interpreted with the same standard statistical tests (ANOVA and Tukey). We first compared two commercial assays for BotNT B: the detection limit of the colorimetric ELISA was 1.56 ng/ml BotNT B complexes versus 0.39-0.78 ng/ml in the ECL test. We then used the same monoclonal antibody and the same polyclonal antibody, respectively purified by protein A and protein G chromatography, to optimize an in-house ELISA test and an in-house ECL test, making it possible to directly compare the two technologies without interference due to the properties of the antibodies used in the two tests. The colorimetric in-house ELISA had a detection threshold of 3.12 ng/ml versus the in-house ECL test whose detection threshold was 0.78-1.56 ng/ml. Thus, in both cases, the ECL assay was two to four times more sensitive than the colorimetric ELISA. The ECL assay was also more rapid (2.5 h for the in-house ECL versus 5 h for in-house ELISA with precoated wells). Overall, these elements can be used to compare the qualities of the two technologies, at least for the detection of protein antigens such as toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Guglielmo-Viret
- Immunobiologie, Département de biologie des agents transmissibles, Centre de recherche du, Service de santé des armées, 24 avenue des maquis du Grésivaudan, PO Box 38702, La Tronche, France
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Abstract
Botulism is a deadly disease caused by ingestion of the preformed neurotoxin produced from the anaerobic spore-forming bacteria Clostridium botulinum. Botulinum neurotoxins are the most poisonous toxins known and have been a concern in the food industry for a long time. Therefore, rapid identification of botulinum neurotoxin using molecular and biochemical techniques is an essential component in the establishment of coordinated laboratory response systems and is the focus of current research and development. Because of the extreme toxicity of botulinum neurotoxin, some confirmatory testing with the mouse bioassay is still necessary, but rapid methods capable of screening large numbers of samples are also needed. This review is focused on the development of several detection methods for botulinum neurotoxins in foods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shashi K Sharma
- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, College Park, Maryland 20740-3835, USA.
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