Quantitative analysis of phosphinothricin-N-acetyltransferase in genetically modified herbicide tolerant pepper by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

An immunoassay method was developed to quantitatively detect phosphinothricin-N-acetyltransferase (PAT) encoded by the Bialaphos resistance (bar) gene in genetically modified (GM) pepper. The histidine-tagged PAT was overexpressed in Escherichia coli M15 (pQE31-bar) and efficiently purified by Ni2+ affinity chromatography. A developed sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (S-ELISA) method (detection limit: 0.01 microg/ml) was 100-fold more sensitive than a competitive indirect ELISA (CI-ELISA) method or Western blot analysis in detecting the recombinant PAT. In real sample tests, PAT in genetically modified herbicide-tolerant (GMHT) peppers was successfully quantified [4.9 +/- 0.4 microg/g of sample (n = 6)] by the S-ELISA method. The S-ELISA method developed here could be applied to other GMHT crops and vegetables producing PAT.