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1
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X5 Canada.
2
Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology,
University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X5 Canada.
3
Department of Clinical Chemistry, Lund University,
University Hospital Malmo, Malmo S-205 02, Sweden.
a Address correspondence to this author at: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, 600 University Ave., Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X5 Canada. Fax 416-586-8628; e-mail ediamandis{at}mtsinai.on.ca
| Abstract |
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Methods: We here describe immunoassay, immunohistochemistry, and microarray applications of a new streptavidin-based universal polyvinylamine (PVA) detection reagent that is multiply labeled with the europium chelate of BCPDA. Solid-phase time-resolved immunofluorometric assays for biotinylated mouse IgG and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) were developed using the new conjugate as a detection reagent. The new conjugate was also used for the immunohistochemical localization of PSA expression in paraffin-embedded prostatic tissues. A model microarray with spotted biotinylated antibody as target was also performed.
Results: Approximately 50100 BCPDA moieties were covalently
bound to PVA, which was then linked to streptavidin via biotin
interaction. The macromolecular complex successfully recognized and
bound biotinylated detection reagents, e.g., antibodies. The new
reagent enabled measurement of solid phase-immobilized biotinylated
mouse IgG with a detection limit of
1 pg/assay and
demonstrated excellent linearity. In an ELISA-type sandwich
PSA assay that included two PSA monoclonal antibodies using the
new conjugate as detection reagent, we detected 0.001 µg/L PSA
(
100 fg or
3 amol/assay). Serum samples analyzed for PSA by this
method and a commercial assay gave highly correlated results. The new
reagent enabled excellent immunohistochemical localization of PSA
expression in prostate tissues. Using the new reagent in a model
microarray experiment with biotinylated mouse IgG as target, we
demonstrated excellent spatial resolution of 5- to 10-nL microspots.
Conclusions: The new detection reagent may find important applications in biotechnology.
| Introduction |
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Fluorescent europium chelates exhibit large Stokes shifts (
290 nm)
with no overlap between the excitation and emission spectra. These
chelates have a very narrow (10-nm bandwidth) emission spectrum at 615
nm that differs from the fluorescence spectrum of serum native.
In addition, their long fluorescence lifetimes (6001000 µs)
allow use of microsecond time-resolved fluorescence measurements,
which further reduces the observed background signals
(1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(15).
In principle, the sensitivity of fluorometric analysis could be improved by attaching many fluorescent groups to the labeled reagents. This approach does not always work because the increased tagging soon produces concentration quenching, which first reduces the quantum efficiency and then the total emission (15)(16).
In this report, we describe preliminary immunoassay, immunohistochemistry, and microarray applications of a new streptavidin (SA)-based universal detection reagent labeled with the chelate of Eu3+ with BCPDA via the macromolecular carrier polyvinylamine (PVA). Our aim was to develop a reagent that, through multiple labeling, would provide signal amplification while allowing measurement of fluorescence directly from the solid phase.
| Materials and Methods |
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510 and y is
50100 (17). We
then mixed the purified complex with a carefully controlled amount of
SA and Eu3+ to form the complex
(SA)z-(biotin)x-PVA-(BCPDA-Eu3+)y.
The optimal amounts of the two reagents can be found by careful
titration with different ratios and then testing the resulting reagent
with a model solid-phase immunoassay using biotinylated mouse IgG
immobilized in microtiter wells. This reagent is stable at 4 °C for
at least 1 year. The molecular weight of this complex was determined by
gel filtration chromatography, as described below. The SA content of
the optimal reagent concentrate (x10) is 100 mg/L.
solid phase-detection of immobilized biotinylated mouse
IgG
Microtiter plates were coated overnight with 500 ng of sheep
anti-mouse IgG in 100 µL of 0.05 mol/L Tris (pH 7.80) per well. After
washing the plates, we added 100 µL of biotinylated mouse IgG,
diluted in 60 g/L bovine serum albumin, and incubated the
plates for 2 h at room temperature with shaking. The amount of
biotinylated mouse IgG varied from 0.5 pg/well to 50 000 pg/well.
After washing the plates, we added 100 µL of the SA conjugate,
diluted 10-fold (diluent, 60 g/L bovine serum albumin solution in 0.1
mol/L Tris buffer, pH 7.80;
1 µg of SA per well). After incubation
for 25 min, the plates were washed and dried in a forced air microplate
dryer, and the solid-phase fluorescence was measured with a CyberFluor
615 Time-Resolved Fluorometer (MDS Nordion).
gel filtration chromatography
The molecular mass of the macromolecular complex was
assessed by gel filtration chromatography on a 600 x 7.5 mm
Bio-Sil SEC-250 column (Bio-Rad Laboratories). The column was
calibrated with a calibration solution from Bio-Rad. The mobile
phase was 0.1 mol/L sodium phosphate, 0.1 mol/L sodium sulfate (pH
6.50), and the flow rate was 0.5 mL/min; absorbance was monitored at
280 nm for the protein calibrators and at 325 nm for the macromolecular
complex (absorbance maximum of BCPDA) (14). The exclusion
limit for this column is
106 Da.
immunoassay for prostate-specific antigen
The general principles of this assay have been described
previously (18). Briefly, the assay uses two monoclonal
antibodies, one of which is coated on a microtiter plate, whereas the
other one is biotinylated. Sample volume is 100 µL. After sandwich
formation in the first step [capture antibody, prostate-specific
antigen (PSA)-biotinylated antibody], the complex is reacted with
SA-alkaline phosphatase conjugate. Enzyme activity is then measured by
time-resolved fluorometry as described (18). The detection
limit of this assay is 0.001 µg/L, and the measuring range extends to
10 µg/L, but the doseresponse curve is not linear at 110 µg/L
(18). Here, we detected the final immunocomplex, comprising
the capture antibody, PSA, and biotinylated detection antibody, with
our SA-based macromolecular complex. The final measurement was
performed on the dry solid phase as described previously
(16)(17).
immunohistochemistry
Paraffin-embedded prostatic tissue sections (5 µm in thickness)
were deparaffinized and rehydrated. A 5% universal tissue conditioner
(Biomeda) was applied at room temperature for 10 min to block any
nonspecific binding. At 37 °C, sections were incubated with
biotinylated monoclonal mouse anti-human PSA antibody (
2
mg/L; coded 8301; Diagnostic Systems Laboratories) for 1
h. The section was then stained with
(SA)z-(biotin)x-PVA-(BCPDA)y-Eu3+
for another 25 min. After each step, each section was wash briefly with
a 0.5 mL/L Tween 20 solution. Finally, the slides were dried
with a stream of cold air and the resulting fluorescence was observed
with a time-resolved fluorescence microscope (Signifer 1432;
MicroImager).
microarray analysis
Spots of biotinylated mouse IgG (5 nL) were immobilized on a glass
slide coated with a proprietary membrane of high protein capacity
(FastTM slides, cat. no. 10484182; Schleicher &
Schuell). The microspots were stained with the SA-based reagent,
washed, dried, and examined with the time-resolved fluorescence
microscope.
| Results |
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510 and y is
50100 (17), successfully
recognizes and binds other biotinylated antibodies and is very stable
at 4 °C (at least 1 year). When we assessed the molecular mass of
the macromolecular complex by HPLC (Fig. 2
106 Da. This is consistent with
cross-linking of at least eight PVA-(BCPDA)y
complexes. This cross-linking is facilitated by SA, through its
multiple binding sites (19).
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In Fig. 3
, we show the sensitivity and linearity of measuring solid
phase-immobilized biotinylated mouse IgG. At 10 pg/assay (
0.7 fmol),
the signal-to-background ratio of fluorescence is
10-fold. The
detection limit is
1 pg/assay and linearity is excellent.
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As shown in Fig. 4
, we could detect
0.001 µg/L PSA (100 fg/assay; equivalent
to 3 x 10-18 moles of PSA). Measurements
were linear at PSA concentrations of 0.0011 µg/L, and the measuring
range was useful to 10 µg/L. Imprecision (CV) was <10% at
0.00510 µg/L PSA and was 20% at 0.001 µg/L PSA. When we compared
this assay with assays using either enzymatically amplified
time-resolved fluorometry (9) or enzymatically triggered
chemiluminescence with dioxetane substrates
(20)(21) (same antibodies, assay conjugation,
and conditions), we obtained comparable signal-to-noise ratios and
detection limits, but linearity was superior with the present method at
PSA concentrations of 110 µg/L. When we analyzed 40 serum samples
from males by this method, the results were in excellent agreement with
those obtained with a commercially available PSA immunoassay (Elecsys;
Roche Diagnostics, Indianapolis; Fig. 5
).
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We used the new reagent for the detection of PSA in prostate tissues by
immunohistochemistry. The results are shown in Fig. 6
. PSA is present in epithelial cells and the lumen; the stroma
is negative.
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In Fig. 7
, we show multiple microspots (
5 nL each) of a 50 µg/L
solution of biotinylated mouse IgG (
250 pg/spot). In this microarray
experiment, we demonstrated the excellent spatial resolution of this
technique. Microspotting of the same reagent at different dilutions
indicated achievable detection limits of
0.252.5 pg/spot.
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| Discussion |
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Fluorescent lanthanide chelates are free of quenching when multiple labeling is used (16). We have taken advantage of this principle to devise macromolecular complexes, multiply labeled with lanthanide chelates, for time-resolved immunofluorometric analysis. Although we were able to achieve ng/L detection limits in model immunological assays (16), the major disadvantages with the previously described macromolecular complexes were their difficult preparation, their relative instabilities, and their very large molecular masses (bovine thyroglobulin was used as a carrier in these applications). The new complexes described here have the advantage of an approximately threefold higher sensitivity and inexpensive and easy preparation by means of a simple reagent-mixing step. The preformed complexes are stable over time and are suitable for immunological assays using biotinylated antibodies as auxiliary reagents. We anticipate that the same complexes may have applications in nucleic acid hybridization assays, but we did not test these assays.
We previously described highly sensitive detection technologies based
on enzymatically amplified time-resolved fluorescence using terbium
chelates as labels (9). Furthermore, enzymatically triggered
chemiluminescence is among the most sensitive detection techniques
(20)(21). When we compared our new reagents with
these competing technologies in the same immunological assay for PSA,
we found that all three methods have similar detection limits (
3
amol/assay).
Recently, other investigators succeeded in developing Eu3+ fluorescent chelators that, like BCPDA, are suitable for solid-phase time-resolved immunofluorometry (7)(22)(23)(24). Others have devised successful homogeneous time-resolved fluorometric immunoassays suitable for clinical applications (25)(26).
The major advantage with the newly developed reagent is the ability to measure fluorescence directly from the solid phase. We describe here successful model immunoassay, immunohistochemical, and microarray applications. Others have also used time-resolved fluorometric analysis for immunohistochemistry of PSA with different Eu3+ chelates (11). We anticipate that this new reagent may be used in diverse biotechnology applications and especially in protein microarray and high-throughput screening assays.
| Acknowledgments |
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| Footnotes |
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| References |
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The following articles in journals at HighWire Press have cited this article:
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Y. Xu and Q. Li Multiple Fluorescent Labeling of Silica Nanoparticles with Lanthanide Chelates for Highly Sensitive Time-Resolved Immunofluorometric Assays Clin. Chem., August 1, 2007; 53(8): 1503 - 1510. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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C. P. Price Microarrays: The Reincarnation of Multiplexing in Laboratory Medicine, But Now More Relevant? Clin. Chem., August 1, 2001; 47(8): 1345 - 1346. [Full Text] [PDF] |
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R. Wiese, Y. Belosludtsev, T. Powdrill, P. Thompson, and M. Hogan Simultaneous Multianalyte ELISA Performed on a Microarray Platform Clin. Chem., August 1, 2001; 47(8): 1451 - 1457. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
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E. P. Diamandis Signal Amplification in Time-resolved Fluorometry Clin. Chem., March 1, 2001; 47(3): 380 - 381. [Full Text] [PDF] |
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