Search

A bioanalytical detection method for specific detection of viable human pathogenic Cryptosporidium species, C. parvum, C. hominis, and C. meleagridis is described. Oocysts were isolated from water samples via immunomagnetic separation, and mRNA was extracted with oligo-dT magnetic beads, amplified using nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA), and then detected in a nucleic acid hybridization lateral flow assay. The amplified target sequence employed was hsp70 mRNA, production of which is stimulated via a brief heat shock. The described method was capable of detecting one oocyst in 10 μL using flow-cytometer-counted samples. Only viable oocysts were detected, as confirmed using 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole and propidium iodide (DAPI/PI) staining. The detection system was challenged by detecting oocysts in the presence of large numbers of common waterborne microorganisms and packed pellet material filtered from environmental water samples. When the method was compared with EPA Method 1622 for C. parvum detection, highly comparable results were obtained. Since the described detection system yields unambiguous results within 4.5 h, it is an ideal method for monitoring the safety of drinking water.

Microbiological contamination of foods continues to be a major concern in public health. Biological toxins are one class of important contaminants that can cause various human diseases. Outbreaks related to contamination by biological toxins or toxin-producing microorganisms have made it extremely important to develop rapid (approximately 20 min), sensitive and cost-effective analytical methods. This paper describes the development of a sensitive bioassay for the detection of cholera toxin (CT) in selected seafood samples, using ganglioside-incorporated liposomes. In this study, the assays were run with food samples spiked with various concentrations of CT. The limit of detection (LOD) increased by a factor of about 10-20 in most food samples, compared with the LOD in the buffer system previously reported. However, the LOD of toxins in food samples (8 × 10-3 × 10(3) fg/mL for CT) was still comparable to, or lower than, that previously reported for other assays. The results from this study demonstrate that the bioassays using ganglioside-liposomes can detect the toxin directly in the field screening of food samples rapidly, simply and reliably, without the need for complex instrumentation.

Cholera, an acute infectious disease associated with water and seafood contamination, is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, which lives and colonizes in the small intestine and secretes cholera toxin (CT), a causative agent for diarrhea in humans. Based on earlier lateral flow assays, a flow injection liposome immunoanalysis (FILIA) system with excellent sensitivity was developed in this study for the determination of CT at zeptomole levels. Ganglioside (GM1), found to have specific affinity toward CT, was inserted into the phospholipid bilayer during the liposome synthesis. These GM1-sensitized, sulforhodamine B (SRB) dye-entrapping liposomes were used as probes in the FILIA system. Anti-CT antibodies were immobilized in its microcapillary. CT was detected by the formation of a sandwich complex between the immobilized antibody and GM1 liposomes. During the assay, the sample was introduced first into the column, and then liposomes were injected to bind to all CT captured by the antibody in the microcapillary. Subsequently, the SRB dye molecules were released from the bound liposomes via the addition of the detergent octyl glucopyranoside. The released dye molecules were transported to a flow-through fluorescence detector for quantification. The FILIA system was optimized with respect to flow rate, antibody concentration, liposome concentration, and injected sample volume. The calibration curve for CT had a linear range of 10-16 to 10-14 g mL-1. The detection limit of this immunosensor was 6.6 x 10(-17) g mL-1 in 200-microL samples (equivalent to 13 ag or 1.1 zmol).

The objective of this study was to develop and optimize a protocol for the rapid detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in aqueous samples by a combined immunomagnetic bead-immunoliposome (IMB/IL) fluorescence assay. The protocol consisted of the filtration or centrifugation of 30- to 100-ml samples followed by incubation of the filter membranes or pellet with anti-E. coli O157:H7 immunomagnetic beads in growth medium specific for E. coli O157:H7. The resulting E. coli O157:H7-immunomagnetic bead complexes were isolated by magnetic separation, washed, and incubated with sulforhodamine B-containing immunoliposomes specific for E. coli O157:H7; the final immunomagnetic bead-E. coli O157:H7-immunoliposome complexes were again isolated by magnetic separation, washed, and lysed with a n-octyl-beta-d-glucopyranoside to release sulforhodamine B. The final protocol took less than 8 h to complete and had a detection limit of less than 1 CFU of E. coli O157:H7 per ml in various aqueous matrices, including apple juice and cider. To validate the protocol at an independent facility, 100-ml samples of groundwater with and without E. coli O157:H7 (15 CFU) were analyzed by a public health laboratory using the optimized protocol and a standard microbiological method. While the IMB/IL fluorescence assay was able to identify E. coli O157:H7-containing samples with 100% accuracy, the standard microbiological method was unable to distinguish E. coli O157:H7-spiked samples from negative controls without further extensive workup. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using immunomagnetic beads in combination with sulforhodamine B-encapsulating immunoliposomes for the rapid detection of E. coli O157:H7 in aqueous samples.

A rapid and highly sensitive receptor immunoassay for botulinum toxin (BT) has been developed using ganglioside-incorporated liposomes. Botulism outbreaks are relatively rare, but their results can be very severe, usually leading to death from respiratory failure. To exert their toxicity, the biological toxins must first bind to receptors on the cell surface, and the trisialoganglioside GT1b has been identified as the cell receptor for BT. Therefore, in this study, GT1b was used to prepare the ganglioside-liposomes by spontaneous insertion into the phospholipid bilayer. In a sandwich-based, hybrid receptor immunoassay, BT is detected as a colored band on a nitrocellulose membrane strip, where BT bound to the GT1b-liposomes are captured by anti-BT antibodies immobilized in a band across the strip. The intensity of the colored band can be visually estimated, or measured by densitometry using computer software. The limit of detection (LOD) for BT in the lateral-flow assay system was 15 pg mL(-1), which is comparable to the limits of detection achieved with the most sensitive assays previously reported. However, this rapid assay can be completed in less than 20 min. These results demonstrate that the sandwich assay using GT1b-liposomes for detection of BT is rapid and very sensitive, suggesting the possibility for detecting BT in field screening, simply and reliably, without the need for complex instrumentation.

An extremely sensitive bioassay has been developed for cholera toxin (CT) detection, using ganglioside-incorporated liposomes. Cholera is a diarrheal disease, often associated with water or seafood contamination. Ganglioside GM1 was used to prepare the liposomes by spontaneous insertion into the phospholipid bilayer. CT recognition and signal generation is based on the strong and specific interaction between GM1 and CT. In a sandwich immunoassay, CT was detected as a colored band on the nitrocellulose membrane strip, where CT bound to GM1-liposomes can be captured by immobilized antibodies. The intensity of the band could be visually estimated or measured by densitometry, using computer software. The limit of detection (LOD) of CT in the assay system was found to be 10 fg/mL which is equivalent to 8 zmol in the 70-microL sample. The assay was also tested with water samples spiked with CT, providing a LOD of 0.1-30 pg/mL, which is much better than previously reported limits of detection from other assays. The assay could be completed within 20 min. These results demonstrate that the bioassay developed for CT is rapid and ultrasensitive, suggesting the possibility for detecting CT, simply and reliably, in field screening.

Fumonisins are secondary metabolites of the fungus Fusarium moniliforme, a common mycotoxin in corn, which are known to cause cancer in a number of experimental animals and have been linked to human esophageal cancer in China and South Africa. A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method is currently the most widely used method for the quantitative determination of fumonisins. This method utilizes precolumn derivatization with o-phthaldialdehyde, isocratic elution, and fluorescence detection. In this study, the HPLC method was chosen as the reference method to evaluate the reproducibility and accuracy of FILIA (flow-injection liposome immunoanalysis) for the detection of the fumonisin B1 (FmB1). Studies indicate that a recovery of 86-90% could be obtained when commercial yellow cornmeal spiked with FmB1 was extracted in 75% methanol, which correlated favorably (correlation coefficient, r(2)=0.945) with the result of 80-92% obtained using the flow-injection liposome immunoanalysis (FILIA) system. The data suggest that the FILIA method is comparable to HPLC for the detection of fumonisins in corn, animal feeds, and human foods. Important features of FILIA as compared to HPLC are, most importantly, lower detection limit (ca. 25 x lower), and also less complex and faster sample preparation and therefore increased analytical throughput. In addition, 24 human corn-based foods and 6 animal feeds were examined for the presence of FmB1 using HPLC and FILIA.

Microbiological contamination of foods continues to be a major concern in public health. Biological toxins are one class of important contaminants that can cause various human diseases. Outbreaks related to contamination by biological toxins or toxin-producing microorganisms have made it extremely important to develop rapid (approximately 20 min), sensitive and cost-effective analytical methods. This paper describes the development of a sensitive bioassay for the detection of cholera toxin (CT) in selected seafood samples, using ganglioside-incorporated liposomes. In this study, the assays were run with food samples spiked with various concentrations of CT. The limit of detection (LOD) increased by a factor of about 10–20 in most food samples, compared with the LOD in the buffer system previously reported. However, the LOD of toxins in food samples (8 × 10–3 × 103 fg/mL for CT) was still comparable to, or lower than, that previously reported for other assays. The results from this study demonstrate that the bioassays using ganglioside-liposomes can detect the toxin directly in the field screening of food samples rapidly, simply and reliably, without the need for complex instrumentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel universal reagent for immunoassays, protein G-liposomal nanovesicles has been developed and successfully used in an immunomagnetic bead sandwich assay for the detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 [C.-S. Chen, A.J. Baeumner, R.A. Durst, Talanta 67 (2005) 205]. To demonstrate the universal capability of protein G-liposomal nanovesicles, this reagent was used to develop an array-based immunosorbent assay for the simultaneous detection of E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and Listeria monocytogenes. Both direct and competitive immunoassay formats were used to demonstrate the feasibility of detecting multiple analytes in a single test by using universal protein G-liposomal nanovesicles. Both pure and mixed cultures were examined in the direct immunoassay format. Results indicate that the limits of detection (LODs) of the direct assay for E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and L. monocytogenes in pure cultures were approximately 100, 500 and 1.5×104 CFU/ml, respectively. In mixed cultures, the LODs were approximately 3.1×103, 7.8×104, and 7.9×105 CFU/ml. In the competitive assay format, the LODs for E. coli O157:H7, S. enterica serovar Typhimurium, and L. monocytogenes were approximately 1.5×104, 5×104, and 1.2×105 CFU/ml for the pure cultures. These results showed that protein G-liposomal nanovesicles can be successfully used in a simultaneous immunoassay for several food-borne pathogens, thereby demonstrating that they are effective universal reagents for use in immunoassays. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Describes the detection of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) utilizing two immunoassay formats based on the detection and quantification of liposome migration along strips of plastic-backed nitrocellulose. Assay description; Characterization of liposomes; Selection of antibody; Laser diffraction observation of liposome aggregation.

Abstract: To improve the antigen-binding activity of liposome-coupled antibodies and to develop universal liposomal nanovesicles for immunoassays, protein G was conjugated to dye-loaded liposomal nanovesicles for the preparation of immunoliposomes. Sulfosuccinimidyl-4-(N-maleimidomethyl) cyclohexane-1-carboxylate (sulfo-SMCC), a heterobifunctional cross-linker, was used to modify protein G for conjugation to the liposomal nanovesicles. Liposome immunosorbent assays were used to evaluate the binding ability of protein G after sulfo-SMCC modification, to optimize the protein G density on the liposome surface and to determine the amount of IgG binding to the protein G-liposomal nanovesicles. Test strips coated with a narrow zone of antibodies were used to show the successful conjugation. Immunomagnetic beads were used to demonstrate the feasibility of protein G-tagged universal liposomal nanovesicles for immunoassays. Results indicate that the Fc-binding capacity of protein G decreased by only 5.3% after sulfo-SMCC modification. Antibodies were easily conjugated to universal protein G-liposomal nanovesicles in 30min. The conjugates (protein G-immunoliposomes) were successfully used in immunomagnetic bead assays for the detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 with a detection limit of approximately 100CFU/ml. This work demonstrated that protein G-liposomal nanovesicles are a successful universal reagent for easily coupling antibodies in an active orientation on the liposome surface for use in immunoassays. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An extremely sensitive bioassay has been developed for cholera toxin (CT) detection, using ganglioside-incorporated liposomes. Cholera is a diarrheal disease, often associated with water or seafood contamination. Ganglioside GM1 was used to prepare the liposomes by spontaneous insertion into the phospholipid bilayer. CT recognition and signal generation is based on the strong and specific interaction between GM1 and CT. In a sandwich immunoassay, CT was detected as a colored band on the nitrocellulose membrane strip, where CT bound to GM1liposomes can be captured by immobilized antibodies. The intensity of the band could be visually estimated or measured by densitometry, using computer software. The limit of detection (LOD) of CT in the assay system was found to be 10 fg/mL which is equivalent to 8 zmol in the 70-µL sample. The assay was also tested with water samples spiked with CT, providing a LOD of 0.1-30 pg/mL, which is much better than previously reported limits of detection from other assays. The assay could be completed within 20 min. These results demonstrate that the bioassay developed for CT is rapid and ultrasensitive, suggesting the possibility for detecting CT, simply and reliably, in field screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]