Immunoassay fluorescent labels

Fluoroimmunoassays comprise a subclass of extrinsic labehng methods where various selective antigen (Ag)- antibody (Ab) immunoassay fluorescent labeling schemes yield a emission signal. One common scheme involves an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) depicted in Figure 11.2 where the free Ab is tagged with a fluorophore. Numerous analytes can be detected via these types of selective lock-and-key methods. ... 

The analytical detection limits of competitive and noncompetitive immunoassays are determined principally by the affinity of the antibody and the detection limit of the label used, respectively. Calculations have indicated that a lower limit of detection of lOfmol/L (Le., 600,000 molecules of analyte in a typical sample volume of 100 jiL) is possible in a competitive assay using an antibody with an affinity of iO L/mol. Table 9-2 illustrates the detection limits for isotopic and nonisotopic labels. A radioactive label, such as l, has low specific activity (7.5 million labels necessary for detection of 1 disintegration/s) compared with enzyme labels and chemiluminescent and fluorescent labels. Enzyme labels provide an amplification (each enzyme label produces many detectable product molecules), and the detection limit for an enzyme can be improved by replacing the conventional photometric detection reaction by a chemiluminescent or bioluminescent reaction. The combination of amplification and an ultrasensitive detection reaction makes noncompetitive chemiluminescent EIAs among the most sensitive types of immunoassay. Fluorescent labels also have... 

Assays of ciguatoxin. Determination of ciguatoxin levels in fish was carried out in many laboratories by mouse assays. Enzyme immunoassay to screen inedible fish has been proposed by Hokama (9). No specific chemical assay has been developed, as information on functional groups suitable for fluorescence labeling is not available. Analyses conducted in the authors laboratory on remnant fish retrieved from patients meals indicated that ciguatoxin content as low level as 1 ppb could cause intoxication in adults. An extremely high sensitivity and a sophisticated pretreatment method will be required for designing a fluorometric determination method for the toxin. 

Fluorescence lifetime-based applications require probes and labels with environment-sensitive lifetimes, while immunoassays or hybridization-based analysis require fluorescent tracers preferably labeled with a single, mono-reactive fluorescent label. 

Hall M, Kazakova I, Yao YM (1999) High sensitivity immunoassays using particulate fluorescent labels. Anal Biochem 272 165-170... 

Immunoassays based on fluorescence polarization have become very popular because, in contrast to radioimmunoassays, they require no steps to separate free and bound tracer. In a fluoroimmunoassay, the fluorescently labeled antigen is... 

R. Ekins, F. Chu and E. Biggart, Development of microspots multi-analyte ratiometric immunoassay using dual fluorescent-labelled antibodies, Anal Chim Acta 227, 73-96 (1989). 

Fluorescence immunoassays require labeling of antibodies, antigens, or both. The structure and some of the properties of antibodies that are important to the construction of immunoassays are briefly discussed first in this section, followed by a general discussion of probes and some of their characteristics. 

In the past ten years, numerous applications of fluorescence methods for monitoring homogeneous and heterogeneous immunoassays have been reported. Advances in the design of fluorescent labels have prompted the development of various fluorescent immunoassay schemes such as the substrate-labeled fluorescent immunoassay and the fluorescence excitation transfer immunoassay. As sophisticated fluorescence instrumentation for lifetime measurement became available, the phase-resolved and time-resolved fluorescent immunoassays have also developed. With the current emphasis on satellite and physician s office testing, future innovations in fluorescence immunoassay development will be expected to center on the simplification of assay protocol and the development of solid-state miniaturized fluorescence readers for on-site testing. 

FIA Fluorescence immunoassay uses a fluorescent tag on the antibody or antigen. Fluorescent labels absorb light of one wavelength and reemit it at another wavelength. The label is excited by UV and emits visible light. Common fluorescent labels are fluorescein, Texas red, and GFP (green fluorescent protein). 

MJ Schmerr, A Jenny. A diagnostic test for scrapie-infected sheep using capillary electrophoresis immunoassays with fluorescent-labeled peptides. Electrophoresis 19 409-414, 1998. 

Variations, which avoid the use of radioisotopes, are replacing RIA. Some utilize stable isotopes. However, 14C at such low levels that there is no radioactive waste can be coupled with accelerator mass spectrometry to provide very sensitive immunoassays.1 A great variety of other procedures are available. Some involve coupling to antibodies that carry fluorescent labels. Many are now automated. Often protein A from Staphylococcus aureus is utilized in various ways that take advantage of its ability to bind to the Fc portion of IgG from virtually all mammals. For example, it may fix antibodies to a surface or to a label)... 

Ericsson, 1990), the synthesis of fluorescently labeled DNA probes (L. M. Smith et al., 19 8 5), as a label in homogeneous immunoassay systems (Nithipatikom and McGown, 1987), to investigate specific interactions of proteins with cells surfaces (Hochman et al., 1988), and as an important fluorescent tag of antibodies in immunohistochemical staining techniques (Davidson and Hilchenbach, 1990). 

In another report, pFNs were also formed from PDMS chips to create patterns of immobilized chicken IgG. Heterogeneous immunoassay with antispecies IgG (fluorescently labeled) was then conducted [247]. 

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