Alkaline Phosphatase Fusion Protein Research Articles

Development of alkaline phosphatase-linked single-chain variable fragment fusion proteins for one-step immunodetection of deoxynivalenol in cereals.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin that widely distributes in various foods and seriously threatens food safety. To minimize the consumers' dietary exposure to DON, there is an urgent demand for developing rapid and sensitive detection methods for DON in food. In this study, a bifunctional single-chain variable fragment (scFv) linked alkaline phosphatase (ALP) fusion protein was developed for rapid and sensitive detection of deoxynivalenol (DON). The scFv gene was chemically synthesized and cloned into the expression vector pET25b containing the ALP gene by homologous recombination. The prokaryotic expression, purification, and activity analysis of fusion proteins (scFv-ALP and ALP-scFv) were well characterized and performed. The interactions between scFv and DON were investigated by computer-assisted simulation, which included hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interactions, and van der Waals forces. The scFv-ALP which showed better bifunctional activity was selected for developing a direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (dc-ELISA) for DON in cereals. The dc-ELISA takes 90 min for one test and exhibits a half inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 11.72 ng/mL, of which the IC50 was 3.08-fold lower than that of the scFv-based dc-ELISA. The developed method showed high selectivity for DON, and good accuracy was obtained from the spike experiments. Furthermore, the detection results of actual cereal samples analyzed by the method correlated well with that determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (R2=0.97165). These results indicated that the scFv-ALP is a promising bifunctional probe for developing the one-step colorimetric immunoassay, providing a new strategy for rapid and sensitive detection of DON in cereals.

An Efficient Strategy Combining Immunoassays and Molecular Identification for the Investigation of Fusarium Infections in Ear Rot of Maize in Guizhou Province, China

Fusarium is one of the most important phytopathogenic and mycotoxigenic fungi that caused huge losses worldwide due to the decline of crop yield and quality. To systematically investigate the infections of Fusarium species in ear rot of maize in the Guizhou Province of China and analyze its population structure, 175 samples of rotted maize ears from 76 counties were tested by combining immunoassays and molecular identification. Immunoassay based on single-chain variable fragment (scFv) and alkaline phosphatase (AP) fusion protein was first employed to analyze these samples. Fusarium pathogens were isolated and purified from Fusarium-infected samples. Molecular identification was performed using the partial internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and translation elongation factor 1α (TEF-1α) sequences. Specific primers were used to detect toxigenic chemotypes, and verification was performed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). One-hundred and sixty three samples were characterized to be positive, and the infection rate was 93.14%. Sixteen species of Fusarium belonging to six species complexes were detected and Fusarium meridionale belonging to the Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC) was the dominant species. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) identification illustrated that 69 isolates (56.10%) were potential mycotoxin-producing Fusarium pathogens. The key synthetic genes of NIV, NIV + ZEN, DON + ZEN, and FBs were detected in 3, 35, 7, and 24 isolates, respectively. A total of 86.11% of F. meridionale isolates carried both NIV- and ZEN-specific segments, while Fusarium verticillioides isolates mainly represented FBs chemotype. All the isolates carrying DON-producing fragments were FGSC. These results showed that there are different degrees of Fusarium infections in Guizhou Province and their species and toxigenic genotypes display regional distribution patterns. Therefore, scFv-AP fusion-based immunoassays could be conducted to efficiently investigate Fusarium infections and more attention and measures should be taken for mycotoxin contamination in this region.

Developing of specific monoclonal recombinant antibody fused to alkaline phosphatase (AP) for one-step detection of fig mosaic virus.

Present study was performed to develop a fusion recombinant monoclonal antibody for one-step and accurate detection of FMV with a specific single-chain variable fragment (scFv) fused to alkaline phosphatase (AP) named as scFv(FMV-NP)-AP. The gene encoding-specific scFv recombinant antibody binding to nucleocapsid protein of Fig Mosaic Virus (FMV-NP) was fused to upstream of AP gene and integrated in pET26b bacterial expression vector. As vector contain pelB signal peptide, the expressed protein is secreted into periplasmic compartment. Recombinant fusion protein was produced in transformed E. coli following induction by IPTG. Extraction and purification of fusion protein was performed under denatured condition. The results of SDS-PAGE and western blot analysis indicated high integrity and purity with a single band protein with expected size of 72kDa. The total yield of purified scFv(FMV-NP)-AP fusion protein estimated around 0.5-1mg/l cultured medium. Subsequent colorimetric analysis confirmed presence of alkaline phosphatase activity in prepared scFv-AP fusion protein. Specificity of generated recombinant fusion antibody against cognate antigen and the native virus presented in infected plant extracts was assessed by ELISA, western blot and dot blot assays. Results revealed that scFv(FMV-NP)-AP is able to detect the presence of FMV in infected fig plants. The novel approach, implementing specific recombinant fusion antibody developed in this research, leads to one-step detection of FMV in plants by avoiding the use of chemical enzyme-labeled secondary antibodies.

Development of a single-chain variable fragment-alkaline phosphatase fusion protein-based direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for furaltadone metabolite in ctenopharyngodon idellus

ABSTRACTTo determine furaltadone metabolites 5-methylmorpholino-3-amino-2-oxazolidinone (AMOZ) residual levels in ctenopharyngodon idellus, direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (dcELISA) was developed based on a single-chain variable fragment (scFv)-alkaline phosphatase (AP) fusion protein. Firstly, VH and VL gene sequences were cloned from hybridoma cell lines secreting monoclonal antibody against AMOZ derivative, and then the productive VH and VL genes were assembled to a scFv gene and engineered to produce scFv-AP fusion protein. The fusion protein was further identified as a bifunctional reagent for immunoassay, then a sensitive one-step dcELISA against AMOZ derivative was developed with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) and limit of detection (LOD) of 10.62 and 4.83 ng/mL, respectively. The recovery values of AMOZ from spiked fish samples determined by dcELISA were in 71.31%∼82.88%. The results suggested that the prepared scFv-AP fusion protein in this work can be used for rapid and convenient immunoassays to detect AMOZ residues in fish samples.

Generation of functional single-chain fragment variable from hybridoma and development of chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay for determination of total malachite green in tilapia fish

To determine malachite green (MG) and its major metabolite, leucomalachite green (LMG) residual levels in tilapia fish, chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA) was developed based on a single-chain variable fragment (scFv)-alkaline phosphatase (AP) fusion protein. At first, VH and VL gene sequences were cloned from hybridoma cell lines secreting monoclonal antibody against LMG, and then thoroughly by database-assisted sequence analysis. Finally, the productive VH and VL were assembled to an intact scFv sequence and engineered to produce scFv-AP fusion protein. The fusion protein was further identified as a bifunctional reagent for immunoassay, then a sensitive one-step CLEIA against LMG was developed with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) and limit of detection (LOD) of 1.3 and 0.04 ng/mL, respectively. The validation results of this novel competitive CLEIA was in line with those obtained by classical HPLC method for determination of total MG in spiked and field incurred samples.

Development of sandwich chemiluminescent immunoassay based on an anti-staphylococcal enterotoxin B Nanobody–Alkaline phosphatase fusion protein for detection of staphylococcal enterotoxin B

In this study, sandwich chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) for the detection of Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) was developed using nanobody–alkaline phosphatase (Nb–ALP) fusion protein. The SEB-binding nanobodies were obtained from a naïve phage-display library and the Nb–ALP fusion protein was constructed and obtained as a thermally stable and potentially effective substance for detecting antibodies in CLIA. The working range of the sandwich CLIA based on anti-SEB monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and our fusion protein, Nb37–ALP, was 3.12–50.0 ng mL−1 with SC50 = 8.59 ± 0.37 ng mL−1. The limit of detection was 1.44 ng mL−1 according to the blank value plus 3 standard deviations. In order to understand the interaction of SEB and Nb37 in depth, the 3D structure of the SEB–Nb37 complex was constructed and verified by molecular modeling and the docking method. The results showed that the complementary-determining region 3 (CDR3) of Nb37 embedded itself in the opening generated by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and T-cell receptor- (TcR) binding sites of SEB, indicating that Nb37 may affect the recognition of SEB by MHC class Ⅱ molecules and the TcR. The arginine residue (Arg) 101, Arg102 and phenylalanine residue (Phe)103 of CDR3 in Nb37 may have contributed to specific binding to form six salt-bridges between these and SEB. In conclusion, in terms of their specificity and sensitivity, the obtained anti-SEB Nb–ALP appears to have the potential to replace chemically labeled probes for the detection of SEB.

Production and characterization of a single-chain Fv antibody–alkaline phosphatase fusion protein specific for ampicillin

ABSTRACT Anti-AMP scFv were prepared by cloning variable region genes (VH and VL) from hybridoma cell line which secretes antibodies against AMP, and phoA gene was cloned from Escherichia coli strain K12 chromosomal DNA. The resulting scFv and phoA gene were inserted into the expression vector pBV220 to express the scFv–AP fusion protein in E. coli strain BL21. The purified scFv-AP fusion protein was used to develop an ic-CLEIA method for detection of AMP. The limit of detection (IC15) was 0.11 ± 0.004 ng/mL and the IC50 was 0.75 ± 0.04 ng/mL, respectively. The assay was 3 times as sensitive as the corresponding ic-ELISA based on the same fusion protein. IC-CLEIA was used to analyse AMP spiked milk samples, and the validation was confirmed by HPLC. Good correlation between ic-CLEIA and HPLC data was obtained (R 2 = 0.9934). It indicated that the developed method can apply to effectively monitor food safety.

Development of a Highly Sensitive Direct Competitive Fluorescence Enzyme Immunoassay Based on a Nanobody–Alkaline Phosphatase Fusion Protein for Detection of 3-Phenoxybenzoic Acid in Urine

3-Phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) is a human urinary metabolite of many pyrethroid insecticides and can be used as a biomarker to monitor human exposure to these pesticides. A rapid and sensitive direct competitive fluorescence enzyme immunoassay (dc-FEIA) for detecting 3-PBA on the basis of a nanobody (Nb)-alkaline phosphatase (AP) fusion protein was developed. The anti-3-PBA Nb-AP fusion protein was expressed and purified. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) and linear range of dc-FEIA were 0.082 and 0.015-0.447 ng/mL, respectively, with a detection limit of 0.011 ng/mL. The IC50 of dc-FEIA was improved by nearly ten times compared with those of one-step and three-step direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (dc-ELISA). Spiked urine samples were detected by both dc-FEIA and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and the results showed good consistency between the two analysis methods, indicating the reliability of dc-FEIA based on the Nb-AP fusion protein for detecting 3-PBA in urine.

Virtual screening for inhibitors of the human TSLP:TSLPR interaction

The pro-inflammatory cytokine thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) plays a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of various allergy disorders that are mediated by type 2 helper T cell (Th2) responses, such as asthma and atopic dermatitis. TSLP forms a ternary complex with the TSLP receptor (TSLPR) and the interleukin-7-receptor subunit alpha (IL-7Rα), thereby activating a signaling cascade that culminates in the release of pro-inflammatory mediators. In this study, we conducted an in silico characterization of the TSLP:TSLPR complex to investigate the drugability of this complex. Two commercially available fragment libraries were screened computationally for possible inhibitors and a selection of fragments was subsequently tested in vitro. The screening setup consisted of two orthogonal assays measuring TSLP binding to TSLPR: a BLI-based assay and a biochemical assay based on a TSLP:alkaline phosphatase fusion protein. Four fragments pertaining to diverse chemical classes were identified to reduce TSLP:TSLPR complex formation to less than 75% in millimolar concentrations. We have used unbiased molecular dynamics simulations to develop a Markov state model that characterized the binding pathway of the most interesting compound. This work provides a proof-of-principle for use of fragments in the inhibition of TSLP:TSLPR complexation.

Cloning of anti-HBsAg single-chain variable fragments from hybridoma cells for one-step ELISA

ABSTRACTHepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a worldwide health problem. More than 400 million people are chronic HBV carriers in the world. Infected individuals are at a high risk of developing liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma as the main consequences of HBV. The discoveries of fast diagnostic systems and new therapeutic applications are crucial in the fight against viral hepatitis. In this paper we present the generation of a single-chain variable fragment (scFv) from a mouse monoclonal antibody specific to the HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) and demonstrate its expression as a bacterial alkaline phosphatase (AP) fusion protein. In this study, we constructed scFvs from hybridoma cells expressing HBsAg-specific antibody using phage display technology and expressed them in Escherichia coli. The anti-HBsAg scFvs were inserted into pQE-2 vector to produce scFv antibody genetically fused to bacterial AP. Reproducibility of the recombinant HBsAg-scFv fusion protein was tested using Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Present preliminary findings indicate that the anti-HBsAg-scFv AP conjugate could be further used for the development of one-step ELISA for the detection of HBV.

Dual-Label Chemiluminescence Strategy for Multiplexed Immunoassay of 20 Fluoroquinolones, 15 β-Lactams, 15 Sulfonamides, and CAP in Milk

In this paper, a novel dual-label time-resolved chemiluminescent multiplexed immunoassay (DLTRC-MIA) based on the distinction of the kinetic characteristics of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) with approximate estimation approach for simultaneous determination of 20 fluoroquinolones (FQs), 15 β-lactams, 15 sulfonamides (SAs), and chloramphenicol (CAP) in milk was developed. The strategy integrated a single-chain variable fragment–alkaline phosphatase fusion protein (scFv-ALP), a recombinant penicillin-binding protein (PBP) 2×*, a monoclonal antibody (MAb), and a polyclonal antibody (PAb) in one immunoassay and in a single well together to fulfill the simultaneous detection of 51 low-molecular weight contaminants (20 FQs, 15 β-lactams, 15 SAs, and CAP). The limits of detection for FQs, β-lactams, SAs, and CAP range from 0.29 μg L−1 for ciprofloxacin (CIP) to 81.6 μg L−1 for trovafloxacin (TRO), 0.27 μg L−1 for ceftiofur (CEF) to 44.1 μg L−1 for cephalexin (CEL), 0.089 μg L−1 for sulfadimethoxine (SDM) to 2.7 μg L−1 for sulfadiazine (SDZ), and 0.028 μg L−1 for CAP, respectively. The results demonstrated that the detection limits of DLTRC-MIA meet the requirement of detection levels for 51 drug residues in milk, suitable for high-throughput screening of low-molecular weight contaminants.

A Cross-Reactive Human Single-Chain Antibody for Detection of Major Fish Allergens, Parvalbumins, and Identification of a Major IgE-Binding Epitope.

Fish allergy is associated with moderate to severe IgE-mediated reactions to the calcium binding parvalbumins present in fish muscle. Allergy to multiple fish species is caused by parvalbumin-specific cross-reactive IgE recognizing conserved epitopes. In this study, we aimed to produce cross-reactive single chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies for the detection of parvalbumins in fish extracts and the identification of IgE epitopes. Parvalbumin-specific phage clones were isolated from the human ETH-2 phage display library by three rounds of biopanning either against cod parvalbumin or by sequential biopanning against cod (Gad m 1), carp (Cyp c 1) and rainbow trout (Onc m 1) parvalbumins. While biopanning against Gad m 1 resulted in the selection of clones specific exclusively for Gad m 1, the second approach resulted in the selection of clones cross-reacting with all three parvalbumins. Two clones, scFv-gco9 recognizing all three parvalbumins, and scFv-goo8 recognizing only Gad m 1 were expressed in the E. coli non-suppressor strain HB2151 and purified from the periplasm. scFv-gco9 showed highly selective binding to parvalbumins in processed fish products such as breaded cod sticks, fried carp and smoked trout in Western blots. In addition, the scFv-gco9-AP produced as alkaline phosphatase fusion protein, allowed a single-step detection of the parvalbumins. In competitive ELISA, scFv-gco9 was able to inhibit binding of IgE from fish allergic patients’ sera to all three β-parvalbumins by up to 80%, whereas inhibition by scFv-goo8 was up to 20%. 1H/15N HSQC NMR analysis of the rGad m 1:scFv-gco9 complex showed participation of amino acid residues conserved among these three parvalbumins explaining their cross-reactivity on a molecular level. In this study, we have demonstrated an approach for the selection of cross-reactive parvalbumin-specific antibodies that can be used for allergen detection and for mapping of conserved epitopes.

Development of a nanobody-alkaline phosphatase fusion protein and its application in a highly sensitive direct competitive fluorescence enzyme immunoassay for detection of ochratoxin A in cereal.

A rapid and sensitive direct competitive fluorescence enzyme immunoassay (dc-FEIA) for ochratoxin A (OTA) based on a nanobody (Nb)-alkaline phosphatase (AP) fusion protein was developed. The VHH (variable domain of heavy chain antibody) gene of Nb28 was subcloned into the expression vector pecan45 containing the AP double-mutant gene. The Nb28-AP construct was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)plysS, and soluble expression in bacteria was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blot. Both the Nb properties and AP enzymatic activity were validated by colorimetric and fluorometric analysis. The 50% inhibitory concentration and the detection limit of the dc-FEIA were 0.13 and 0.04 ng/mL, respectively, with a linear range of 0.06-0.43 ng/mL. This assay was compared with LC-MS/MS, and the results indicated the reliability of Nb-AP fusion protein-based dc-FEIA for monitoring OTA contamination in cereal.

A one-step chemiluminescence immunoassay for 20 fluoroquinolone residues in fish and shrimp based on a single chain Fv–alkaline phosphatase fusion protein

A simple and rapid chemiluminescence competitive direct enzyme-linked generic immunosorbent assay was developed for 20 FQs in fish and shrimp samples.

Development of an efficient signal amplification strategy for label-free enzyme immunoassay using two site-specific biotinylated recombinant proteins

Constructing a recombinant protein between a reporter enzyme and a detector protein to produce a homogeneous immunological reagent is advantageous over random chemical conjugation. However, the approach hardly recombines multiple enzymes in a difunctional fusion protein, which results in insufficient amplification of the enzymatic signal, thereby limiting its application in further enhancement of analytical signal. In this study, two site-specific biotinylated recombinant proteins, namely, divalent biotinylated alkaline phosphatase (AP) and monovalent biotinylated ZZ domain, were produced by employing the Avitag–BirA system. Through the high streptavidin (SA)–biotin interaction, the divalent biotinylated APs were clustered in the SA–biotin complex and then incorporated with the biotinylated ZZ. This incorporation results in the formation of a functional macromolecule that involves numerous APs, thereby enhancing the enzymatic signal, and in the production of several ZZ molecules for the interaction with immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody. The advantage of this signal amplification strategy is demonstrated through ELISA, in which the analytical signal was substantially enhanced, with a 32-fold increase in the detection sensitivity compared with the ZZ–AP fusion protein approach. The proposed immunoassay without chemical modification can be an alternative strategy to enhance the analytical signals in various applications involving immunosensors and diagnostic chips, given that the label-free IgG antibody is suitable for the ZZ protein.

Bacillus subtilis alkaline phosphatase IV acquires activity only late at the stationary phase when produced in Escherichia coli. Overexpression and characterization of the recombinant enzyme

The availability of recombinant monomeric alkaline phosphatase (AP) is highly desirable in analytical applications involving AP fusion proteins. The cobalt-dependant alkaline phosphatase IV from Bacillus subtilis (BSAP), which was reported to be strongly monomeric, was overexpressed in Escherichia coli using pET autoinduction system as a cytoplasmic protein without export signal sequence. After 1day of growth, when the E. coli culture was near the stationary phase (standard time to harvest protein in this expression method), high amounts of BSAP were produced but the soluble fraction of BSAP was nearly inactive: the AP activity in the cell-free extract was near the background level. However, further incubation of bacterial culture lead to a tremendous increase in AP activity which was maximal at the 3rdday of incubation and was 48–100times higher than at the 1stday of growth. The recombinant BSAP was purified by metal-chelate chromatography and characterized. Typically, 90–140mg of active protein was produced in 1L of culture (20g wet cells). BSAP shows 515U/mg activity at optimum conditions (pH 11 and 0.8–2M NaCl). Contrary to the previous report on the native enzyme, BSAP was found to be dimeric and showed only negligible diesterase activity. The observed unusual late activation of BSAP indicates that prolonged incubation at the stationary phase may be useful for functional expression of some problematic proteins in E. coli.

Single domain antibody–alkaline phosphatase fusion proteins for antigen detection — Analysis of affinity and thermal stability of single domain antibody

Single domain antibody (sdAb)–alkaline phosphatase (AP) fusion proteins have been demonstrated to be useful immunodiagnostic reagents for bio-threat agent detection. The bivalent nature of sdAb–AP fusion proteins significantly increases effective affinity and thus the sensitivity of detection, but the thermal stability of the fusion protein had not been explored. This property is critical for the development of immunoassays for use in austere environments. In this study four sdAbs with specificity for MS2 phage coat protein (CP) were expressed as fusions with AP in order to evaluate the thermal stability and affinity of the resulting constructs. The melting temperature (Tm) of the sdAb and sdAb–AP fusion proteins was measured by a combination of Circular Dichroism (CD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fluorescence-based Thermal Shift assay. Binding kinetics were assessed using surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Our results indicated that the AP fusion protein did not increase the Tm or enhance thermal stability of the sdAb, but did provide the expected increase in binding affinity as compared to the original sdAb.

Cloning of anti-hbsag single chain variable fragments from hybridoma cells for one-step elisa

ABSTRACTHepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a worldwide health problem. More than 400 million people are chronic HBV carriers in the world. Infected individuals are at a high risk of developing liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma as the main consequences of HBV. The discoveries of fast diagnostic systems and new therapeutic applications are crucial in the fight against viral hepatitis. In this paper we present the generation of a single-chain variable fragment (scFv) from a mouse monoclonal antibody specific to the HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) and demonstrate its expression as a bacterial alkaline phosphatase (AP) fusion protein. In this study, we constructed scFvs from hybridoma cells expressing HBsAg-specific antibody using phage display technology and expressed them in Escherichia coli. The anti-HBsAg scFvs were inserted into pQE-2 vector to produce scFv antibody genetically fused to bacterial AP. Reproducibility of the recombinant HBsAg-scFv fusion protein was tested using Enzyme-linked Immun...

Olfactomedin 1 Interacts with the Nogo A Receptor Complex to Regulate Axon Growth

Olfm1, a secreted highly conserved glycoprotein, is detected in peripheral and central nervous tissues and participates in neural progenitor maintenance, cell death in brain, and optic nerve arborization. In this study, we identified Olfm1 as a molecule promoting axon growth through interaction with the Nogo A receptor (NgR1) complex. Olfm1 is coexpressed with NgR1 in dorsal root ganglia and retinal ganglion cells in embryonic and postnatal mice. Olfm1 specifically binds to NgR1, as judged by alkaline phosphatase assay and coimmunoprecipitation. The addition of Olfm1 inhibited the growth cone collapse of dorsal root ganglia neurons induced by myelin-associated inhibitors, indicating that Olfm1 attenuates the NgR1 receptor functions. Olfm1 caused the inhibition of NgR1 signaling by interfering with interaction between NgR1 and its coreceptors p75NTR or LINGO-1. In zebrafish, inhibition of optic nerve extension by olfm1 morpholino oligonucleotides was partially rescued by dominant negative ngr1 or lingo-1. These data introduce Olfm1 as a novel NgR1 ligand that may modulate the functions of the NgR1 complex in axonal growth.

Development of a single-chain variable fragment-alkaline phosphatase fusion protein and a sensitive direct competitive chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay for detection of ractopamine in pork

A rapid, sensitive chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA) for ractopamine (RAC) based on a single-chain variable fragment (scFv)-alkaline phosphatase (AP) fusion protein was developed. The scFv gene was prepared by cloning the heavy- and light-chain variable region genes (VH and VL) from hybridoma cell line AC2, which secretes antibodies against RAC, and assembling VH and VL genes with a linker by means of splicing overlap extension polymerase chain reaction. The resulting scFv gene was inserted into the expression vector pLIP6/GN containing AP to produce the fusion protein in Escherichia coli strain BL21. The purified scFv-AP fusion protein was used to develop a direct competitive CLEIA (dcCLEIA) protocol for detection of RAC. The average concentration required for 50% inhibition of binding and the limit of detection of the assay were 0.25±0.03 and 0.02±0.004ngmL−1, respectively, and the linear response range extended from 0.05 to 1.45ngmL−1. The assay was 10 times as sensitive as the corresponding enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay based on the same fusion protein. Cross-reactivity studies showed that the fusion protein did not cross react with RAC analogs. DcCLEIA was used to analyze RAC spiked pork samples, and the validation was confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS). The results showed a good correlation between the data of dc-CLEIA and HPLC–MS (R2>0.99), indicating that the assay was an efficient analytical method for monitoring food safety.