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Different signal amplification strategies to improve the detection sensitivity of immunoassays have been applied which utilize enzymatic reactions, nanomaterials, or liposomes. The latter are very attractive materials for signal amplification because liposomes can be loaded with a large amount of signaling molecules, leading to a high sensitivity. In addition, liposomes can be used as a cell-like "bioscaffold" to directly test recognition schemes aiming at cell-related processes. This study demonstrates an easy and fast approach to link the novel hydrophobic optical probe based on [1,3]dioxolo[4,5-f]-[1,3]benzodioxole (DBD dye mm239) with tunable optical properties to hydrophilic recognition elements (e.g., antibodies) using liposomes for signal amplification and as carrier of the hydrophobic dye. The fluorescence properties of mm239 (e.g., long fluorescence lifetime, large Stokes shift, high photostability, and high quantum yield), its high hydrophobicity for efficient anchoring in liposomes, and a maleimide bioreactive group were applied in a unique combination to build a concept for the coupling of antibodies or other protein markers to liposomes (coupling to membranes can be envisaged). The concept further allowed us to avoid multiple dye labeling of the antibody. Here, anti-TAMRA-antibody (DC7-Ab) was attached to the liposomes. In proof-of-concept, steady-state as well as time-resolved fluorescence measurements (e.g., fluorescence depolarization) in combination with single molecule detection (fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, FCS) were used to analyze the binding interaction between DC7-Ab and liposomes as well as the binding of the antigen rhodamine 6G (R6G) to the antibody. Here, the Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between mm239 and R6G was monitored. In addition to ensemble FRET data, single-molecule FRET (PIE-FRET) experiments using pulsed interleaved excitation were used to characterize in detail the binding on a single-molecule level to avoid averaging out effects.

Homogene Immunoassays sind immunologische Testverfahren, bei deren Durchführung vollständig auf Separations- und Waschschritte verzichtet werden kann. Der Substrate Channeling Immunoassay beruht auf der Weitergabe eines Substrates in einem immunologischen Komplex aus zwei Enzymen. Das Produkt des ersten Enzyms dient dem zweiten Enzym als Substrat zur Generierung eines photometrisch nachweisbaren Produktes. Voraussetzung für diese Weitergabe ist die enge räumliche Nähe beider Enzyme. Diese Nähe wird durch eine Bindung zwischen Analyt und anti-Analyt Antikörper vermittelt. Ein solcher Substrate Channeling Immunoassay wurde unter Verwendung der Enzyme Glucoseoxidase und Peroxidase aufgebaut. Das so etablierte System war funktionstüchtig, jedoch blieb seine Sensitivität hinter der normaler, heterogener Immunoassays zurück. Die Grundlage eines Fluorescence Quenching Immunoassays ist der gegenseitige Ausschluß zweier Antikörper bei der Bindung eines Dihapten-Konjugates. Das Konjugat besteht dabei aus dem Analyten und einem Fluorophor. Die beiden um die Konjugatbindung konkurrierenden Antikörper sind ein anti-Analyt Antikörper und ein anti-Fluorophor Antikörper, der zudem über die Eigenschaft verfügt, bei Bindung des Fluorophors dessen Fluoreszenz zu löschen. Externe Gaben des freien Analyten verschieben das eingestellte Gleichgewicht in Richtung Fluorophor-Bindung und damit Fluoreszenz-Löschung. Die Änderung der Fluoreszenz ist direkt an die Konzentration des freien Analyten gekoppelt und dient zu deren Bestimmung. Ein solcher Fluorescence Quenching Immunoassays wurde für die Konzentrationsbestimmung des Herbizides Diuron etabliert. Die erreichten Sensitivitäten erlauben die praktische, immundiagnostische Anwendung des Systems. Ein Dihapten-Konjugat wurde ebenfalls zum Aufbau eines Verfahrens zur Selektion Antikörper produzierender Zellen eingesetzt. Die Selektion der Antikörper produzierenden Zellen erfolgt unter Verwendung eines Toxinkonjugates. Dieses Konjugat besteht aus einem Liganden und einem Toxin. Die Antikörperbindung des Liganden behindert sterisch die Wechselwirkung der Toxinkomponente im Konjugat mit deren Zielstruktur in oder auf der Zelle. Nur Zellen die einen geeigneten Antikörper sezernieren, überleben die Selektion und reichern sich in der Kultur an. Das Selektionsverfahren wurde erfolgreich für die Selektion von E.coli Zellen eingesetzt, die einen rekombinanten, Fluorescein bindenden Antikörper produzierten. Das hierfür synthetisierte Toxinkonjugat bestand aus Fluorescein (Ligand) und Ampicillin (Toxinkomponente). Eine Ablösung der bisher für diese Aufgabe gebräuchlichen, außerordentlich kostenintensiven, Screening Methoden wird damit möglich. Homogeneous immunoassays are test systems which do not depend on separation steps. The substrate channeling immunoassay is based on the product/substrate transfer in an immunological complex built up by two enzymes. The product of the first enzyme functions as substrate for the second enzyme. The second enzyme generates a photometrically detectable product. The close proximity of these two enzymes is the basis of the substrate channeling. This proximity is created by antibody binding to the corresponding analyte. The enzymes glucose oxidase and peroxidase were used for the development of such an assay system. The established homogeneous immunoassay was functional. But the sensitivity of the assay was much lower than that of conventional heterogeneous immunoassays. The principle of a fluorescence quenching immunoassay is based on the fact that two antibodies exclude each other from binding to a dihapten conjugate. The conjugate consists of the analyte and the fluorophore. The two antibodies which compete for the conjugate binding are an anti-analyte antibody and an anti-fluorophore antibody. This anti-fluorophore antibody quenches the fluorescence of the fluorophore after binding. The addition of free analyte alters the equilibrium of the system so that the anti-fluorophore antibody is bound to the fluorophore and the fluorescence is quenched. The change in fluorescence is therefore an indicator of the concentration of free analyte added. A homogeneous fluorescence quenching immunoassay was established for the determination of the herbicide diuron. The sensitivities obtained allow the practical immunodiagnostic application of the system. A dihapten conjugate was also employed for the development of a selection method for antibody-producing cells. Toxin conjugates were used in this system. Each conjugate consisted of a ligand and a toxin. Antibody binding to the ligand sterically inhibits the toxin component to interact with its target structure. Only cells secreting a binding antibody will survive the selection and will accumulate in culture. The system was applied to the selection of E.coli cells producing a recombinant fluorescein-binding antibody. The toxin conjugate used in experiment consisted of fluorescein (ligand) and ampicillin (toxin component). This selection procedure allowed the isolation of recombinant antibody-producing E.coli cells. It has the potential to replace the time-consuming and labour-intensive methods used so far.

A recombinant single chain antibody fragment (designated scDE1) of the murine monoclonal anti-fluorescein antibody B13-DE1 was generated using the original hybridoma cells as source for the variable antibody heavy and light chain (VH and VL) genes. After cloning the variable genes into a phage vector a functional antibody fragment was selected by phage display panning. Recombinant antibody could be expressed as phage antibody and as soluble single chain antibody in Escherichia coli. High yield of scDE1 could also be detected in bacterial culture supernatant. The scDE1 showed the same binding specificity as the parental monoclonal antibody, i.e. it bound fluorescein, fluorescein derivatives and a fluorescein peptide mimotope. Surface plasmon resonance revealed a K(D) of 19 nM for the scDE1 compared to 0.7 nM for the monoclonal antibody. The isolated soluble scDE1 could easily be conjugated to horseradish peroxidase which allowed the use of the conjugate as universal indicator for the detection of fluorescein-labelled proteins in different immunoassays. Detection of hCG in urine was performed as a model system using scDE1. In addition to E. coli the scFv genes could also be transferred and expressed in eukaryotic cells. Finally, we generated HEK293 cells expressing the scDE1 at the cell surface.

Mimotope peptides-peptides which mimic the binding of a hapten to its corresponding monoclonal antibody-were conjugated to peroxidase and used in competitive immunoassay. The established immunoassay was used to quantitatively determine the concentration of hapten. As model system in all the experiments described here, we used the binding of the monoclonal antibody B13-DE1 to fluorescein and the corresponding peptide mimotope.