Enzyme-based assays

A two-site immunometric assay of undecapeptide substance P (SP) has been developed. This assay is based on the use of two different antibodies specifically directed against the N- and C-terminal parts of the peptide (95). Affinity-purified polyclonal antibodies raised against the six amino-terminal residues of the molecule were used as capture antibodies. A monoclonal antibody directed against the carboxy terminal part of substance P (SP), covalently coupled to the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, was used as the tracer antibody. The assay is very sensitive, having a detection limit close to 3 pg/mL. The assay is fiiUy specific for SP because cross-reactivity coefficients between 0.01% were observed with other tachykinins, SP derivatives, and SP fragments. The assay can be used to measure the SP content of rat brain extracts. 

MacroHdes are obtained by controUed submerged aerobic fermentations of soil microorganisms. Although species of Streptomjces have dominated, species of Saccharopoljspora Micromonospora and Streptoverticillium are also weU represented. New techniques such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based assays may prove beneficial for discovering new stmctures (464). 

Protein fragment complementation assays are based on an enzyme reassembly strategy whereby a protein-protein interaction promotes the efficient refolding and complementation of enzyme fragments to restore an active enzyme. The approach was initially developed using the reconstitution of ubiquitin as a sensor for protein-protein interactions (Johnsson and Varshavsky, 1994). Ubiquitin is a 76 amino acid protein that... 

We have found that many compounds identified in our screen are nonspecific inhibitors of luciferase enzyme activity. To eliminate these, we test the hits in a luciferase enzyme-based counterscreen. Firefly and renilla luciferase are produced in vitro by programming Krebs-2 extracts with FF/HCV/Ren mRNA and allowing the translations to proceed at 30° for 1 h. Ten microliters are then pipetted into a 96-well plate and compound is added to a final concentration of 20 /iM (1% DMSO). Luciferase activity is then determined as described previously in step 3. Since compound is added only after the translation reaction is complete, inhibitors of translation should not score positively in this assay. Typically, a 1-ml in vitro translation reaction is sufficient to screen 45 candidate hits in duplicate for nonspecific luciferase inhibitory activity. Compounds that inhibit in this counterscreen are eliminated from future analysis. 

In order to measure the exact amount of a specific protein (analyte) by IHC signal intensity, a critical requirement is the availability of a standard reference material (present in a known amount by weight) that can be used to calibrate the assay (IHC stain). It is then possible to determine the amount of test analyte (protein) by a translation process from the intensity of IHC signals. In this respect it is helpful to consider the IHC stain as a tissue based ELISA assay (Enzyme Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay), noting that ELISA is used in the clinical laboratory as a standard quantitative method for measuring protein by weight in fluids, by reference to a calibrating reference standard. 

Roth KA, Brenner JW, Selznick LA, et al. Enzyme-based antigen localization and quantitation in cell and tissue samples (Midwestern assay). /. Histochem. Cytochem. 1997 45 1629-1642. 

The rapid turnover rate of some enzymes allows ELISAs to be designed that surpass the sensitivity of radiolabeling techniques. In addition, substrates can be chosen to produce soluble products that can be accurately quantified by their absorbance or fluorescence. Alternatively, substrates are available which form insoluble, highly colored precipitates, excellent for localizing antigens in blots, cells, or tissue sections. The flexibility of enzyme-based assay systems makes the chemistry of enzyme conjugation one of the most important application areas in bioconjugate techniques. 

Enzymes useful for detection purposes in ELISA techniques (Chapter 26) also can be employed in the creation of highly sensitive DNA probes for hybridization assays. The attached enzyme molecule provides detectability for the oligonucleotide through turnover of substrates that can produce chromogenic or fluorescent products. Enzyme-based hybridization assays are perhaps the most common method of nonradioactive detection used in nucleic acid chemistry today. The sensitivity of enzyme-labeled probes can approach or equal that of radiolabeled nucleic acids, thus eliminating the need for radioactivity in most assay systems. 

Enzyme assays, 10 257-258 Enzyme-based inhibitor design,... 

Niewola et al. [183, 185] have described a rapid, convenient and accurate method, based upon an enzyme-based immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the determination of Paraquat residues in soil. Polystyrene plates, coated with paraquat-keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH) conjugate, are incubated with the test samples and a known amount of monoclonal antibody. Residual antibody that has not reacted with free Paraquat in the sample combines with paraquat-KLH on the plate. The determination of the fixed antibody is achieved by the addition of peroxidase labelled rabbit antimouse immunoglobulin G followed by reaction with a chromogenic substrate. The enzyme activity of the solid phase is determined from the absorbance measurements, which are inversely proportional to the concentration of Paraquat. The method shows high specificity and correlates well with the traditional ion exchange-spectrophotometric method for the determination of Paraquat [178]. 

The techniques developed in enzyme immobilization have facilitated the development of enzyme electrodes and of novel enzyme -based, automated, analytical methods (l6,17,l8). Enzyme electrodes have resulted from the combination of an enzyme membrane and an ion-selective electrode they were used successfully to assay directly appropriate substrates. Enzyme columns or enzyme tubes, prepared in a conventional manner, were used as a specific auxiliary component in the indirect assay of substrates in many of the novel automated analytical procedures. 

Theory The method of LDH assay is based on kinetic analysis. In a kinetic enzymatic assay a unit of enzyme activity is defined as the quantity of enzyme that brings about a certain absorbance increase in 30 seconds or 1 minute at a fixed temperature (for instance 25 0.2°C) ... 

The assay principle for MS-based enzyme inhibition assay is shown in Fig. 5.1. The assay is based on the mass spectrometric detection of reaction products of... 

Fig. 5.1 Principle of MS-based enzyme assays. Enzyme (E) molecules react with the substrate (S) to form an enzyme-substrate complex (ES), leading, for example, to a subsequent cleavage into two products Pi and P2. Pi and P2 are monitored continuously by ESI-MS. The injection of an inhibitor, I, results in the temporary formation of an inactive enzyme-inhibitor (El) complex, resulting in a reduction of Pi and P2 and negative peaks in the corresponding mass traces.

T4. Tanaka, K., Kohno, T, Hashida, S., and Ishikawa, E., Novel and sensitive noncompetitive (two-site) enzyme immunoassay for h tens with amino groups. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 4,208—212(1990). T5. Towbin, H., Motz, J., Oroszlan, R, and Zingel, O., Sandwich immunoassay for the hapten angiotensin II. A novel assay principle based on antibodies against immune complexes. J. Immunol. Methods 181, 167-176 (1995). 

Growth conditions in deep-well microtiter plates were optimized with respect to optimal expression of active enzymes (Fig. 2.2.1.1). The best results were obtained with an expression time of 20 h at 37 °C (Fig. 2.2.1.1, lanes 7-9). Subsequently, E. coli cells were enzymatically disrupted by lysozyme treatment, and the carboligase activity was monitored by a modified tetrazolium salt color assay [16], This color assay is based on the reduction of the 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) 13 to the corresponding formazan 15, which has an intense red color (Fig. 2.2.1.2A). Before screening ofa BFD variant library, substrates and products were tested in the color assay. Neither substrate, benzaldehyde 4 nor dimethoxy-acetaldehyde 8, reduced TTC 13 however, the product 2-hydroxy-3,3-dimethoxy-propiophenone 10 already caused color formation at low concentrations of 2.5-10 mM (Fig. 2.2.1.2B). Benzoin 12 as the product also gave a color change at a similar concentration (data not shown). 

Coulthard SA, Rabello C, Robson J et al. A comparison of molecular and enzyme-based assays for the detection of thiopurine methyltransferase mutations. Br J Haematol 2000 110 599-604. 

This enzyme is deficient in GM2-gangliosidosis, -variant (Tay-Sachs disease Table 4.4.1, Fig. 4.4.1). The assay is based on the method described by Inui and Wenger [23]. 

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