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Background The use of beneficial microorganisms as an alternative for pest control has gained increasing attention. The objective of this study was to screen beneficial rhizosphere bacteria with the ability to enhance tomato anti-herbivore resistance. Results Rhizosphere bacteria in tomato field from Fuqing, one of the four locations where rhizosphere bacteria were collected in Fujian, China, enhanced tomato resistance against the tobacco cutworm Spodoptera litura, an important polyphagous pest. Inoculation with the isolate T6–4 obtained from the rhizosphere of tomato field in Fuqing reduced leaf damage and weight gain of S. litura larvae fed on the leaves of inoculated tomato plants by 27% in relative to control. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence identities indicated that the isolate T6–4 was closely related to Stenotrophomonas rhizophila supported with 99.37% sequence similarity. In the presence of S. litura infestation, inoculation with the bacterium led to increases by a 66.9% increase in protease inhibitor activity, 53% in peroxidase activity and 80% in polyphenol oxidase activity in the leaves of inoculated plants as compared to the un-inoculated control. Moreover, the expression levels of defense-related genes encoding allene oxide cyclase (AOC), allene oxide synthase (AOS), lipoxygenase D (LOXD) and proteinase inhibitor (PI-II) in tomato leaves were induced 2.2-, 1.7-, 1.4- and 2.7-fold, respectively by T6–4 inoculation. Conclusion These results showed that the tomato rhizosphere soils harbor beneficial bacteria that can systemically induce jasmonate-dependent anti-herbivore resistance in tomato plants.

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a neurotoxin mainly responsible for severe neurological illness, and okadaic acid (OA) is another important lipophilic toxin to humans. In this study, we developed a gold strip for simultaneous detection of OA and TTX in real seafood samples. In the assay, the prepared nanoparticles (about 40 nm) was applied to conjugate with specific monoclonal antibodies against OA and TTX, and the resulted mixtures were used to capture its corresponding toxin in test strip. OA and TTX conjugates were coated as two test lines on the nitrocellulose membrane, and goat anti-mouse IgG was used to form the control line, forming three lines on the test strip. The visual detection limits (vLOD) of this immunoassay for OA and TTX were 0.75 and 15 ng/mL, respectively, and no cross reactions were observed in the process of detection. The visual assay for OA and TTX detection could be finished within 10 min. This study might provide a feasible method and good understanding for rapidly simultaneous detection for toxins based on immunoassay.

Domoic acid is a potent neurotoxin, glutamate agonist and natural marine biotoxin. It is produced by several diatom algal species of genetically diverse genus Pseudo-nitzschia, red alga Chondria armata and other related species. Historically, widespread domoic acid intoxication incidents have occurred globally. Particularly, in 1987, domoic acid caused an outbreak of human poisoning in Canada by the consumption of contaminated blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) that gave rise to countless clinical illnesses and human deaths. The toxin targets glutamate receptors present in various vital organs and a cascade of ailments characterized the poisoning. The specifically listed neural disorders include memory impairment, coma, recurrent seizures, and epilepsy that led to the name amnesic shellfish poisoning. The occurrence of domoic acid in test samples has been determined by various novel techniques such as liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, biosensors, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and other related hi-tech detection methods. Since the Canada incident, the toxin has intoxicated several marine mammals, sea birds, and contaminated colonized coastal waters around the globe. Subsequently, domoic acid producing algal blooms are accelerating frequently worldwide. Therefore, it poses a global health, safety threat and exposure risks to a significant number of marine and human lives. Genetics of domoic acid producing algal species, molecular markers and therapeutics are currently least known. Therefore, the present review addresses intriguing attributes of domoic acid, such as physicochemical, pharmacological and biological features, sources, and genetic diversity of the producers. In addition, exposure risks including toxicologic pathology of domoic acid poisoning, neurotoxic pathways, detection methods and therapeutics have been inclusively discussed.

Lactoferrin (LF), a bioactive multifunctional protein of the transferrin family, is found mainly in the secretions of all mammals, especially in milk. In the present study, a hybridoma cell (LF8) secreting IgG against bovine LF was screened, and the purified LF8 mAb showed high specificity and affinity to bovine LF. The linear range of ic-ELISA to detect LF was 9.76 ~ 625 ng/mL, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.01 ng/mL. The average recovery of intra- and inter-assay were (104.45 ± 4.12)% and (107.13 ± 4.72)%, respectively. The LOD of colloidal gold- and AuNFs-based strip by naked eye were 9.7 and 2.4 ng/mL, respectively, and the detection time was less than 10 min without any samples pretreatment and expensive equipment. The developed ELISA and lateral flow immunosensors based on specific IgG could be used directly for rapid detection of the bovine LF content in cow milk samples.

The high content of Penicillic acid (PA) in the feed pose threat to human health and cause serious losses to economic wealth through the enrichment effect of the food chain. The reliable and rapidly detection of PA is of significant importance to ensure food safety. In this study, indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) and immunochromatographic test strips (ICTS) were established for PA determination based on anti-PA mAb secreted by 4H9 cell line. The linear range of ic-ELISA detection was 0.12–1.95 μg/mL, and the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.03 μg/mL. Then, conventional gold nanospheres (AuNS) with the average diameter of 20 nm were synthetized and AuNS-based strip was developed for rapidly detection of PA. The visual LOD (vLOD) of the AuNS-based strip was 3.9 μg/mL and the assay time of visual evaluation was less than 10 min without any instrument. To enhance the signal sensitivity of the ICTS, the larger size (about 85 nm) of gold nanoflowers (AuNFs) was prepared in our work, and was used as higher signal reporter to establish the AuNF-based strip for PA determination. Fortunately, the vLOD of AuNF-based strip was 0.97 μg/mL, which was approximately 4-fold lower than that of traditional AuNS-based strip. In summary, the rapid and sensitive immunoassays established in this study could be applied to detect and analyze the contamination of PA toxin in real food samples.

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is the most common and highest toxic of fumonisins species, exists frequently in corn and corn-based foods, leading to several animal and human diseases. Furthermore, FB1 was reported that it was associated with the human esophageal cancer. In view of the harmful of FB1, it is urgent to develop a feasible and accuracy method for rapid detection of FB1. In this study, a competitive immunoassay for FB1 detection was developed based on colloidal gold-antibody conjugate. The FB1-keyhole limpet hemoeyanin (FB1-KLH) conjugate was embedded in the test line, and goat anti-mouse IgG antibody embedded in the control line. The color density of the test line correlated with the concentration of FB1 in the range from 2.5 to 10 ng/mL, and the visual limit detection of test for FB1 was 2.5 ng/mL. The results indicated that the test strip is specific for FB1, and no cross-reactivity to other toxins. The quantitative detection for FB1 was simple, only needing one step without complicated assay performance and expensive equipment, and the total time of visual evaluation was less than 5 min. Hence, the developed colloidal gold-antibody assay can be used as a feasible method for FB1 rapid and quantitative detection in corn samples.

Interferon gamma (IFN-γ), a signal proinflammatory cytokine secreted by immune cell, and plays a critical role in the pathogenesis and progression of many diseases. It has been regarded as an important marker for determination of disease-specific immune responses. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a feasible and accurate method to detect IFN-γ in clinic real blood samples. Until now, the immunoassay based on singe chain variable fragment (scFv) antibody for human IFN-γ is still not reported. In the present study, an scFv antibody named scFv-A8 with high specificity was obtained by phage display and biopanning, with the affinity 2.6 × 109 L/mol. Maltose binding protein (MBP) was used to improve the solubility of scFv by inserting an linker DNA between scFv and MBP tag, and the resulted fusion protein (MBP-LK-scFv) has high solubility and antigen biding activity. The expressed and purified MBP-LK-scFv antibody was used to develop the indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (ic-ELISA) for detection of human IFN-γ, and the result indicated that the linear range to detect IFN-γ was 6–60 pg/mL with IC50 of 25 pg/mL. The limit of detection was 2 pg/mL (1.3 fm), and the average recovery was 85.05%, further demonstrating that the detection method based on scFv has higher recovery and accuracy. Hence, the developed ic-ELISA can be used to detect IFN-γ in real samples, and it may be further provided a scientific basis for disease diagnosis.

Podoplanin (PDPN), a 38 kDa transmembrane sialoglycoprotein from human, is expressed in lymphatic endothelial cells but not in vascular endothelial cells, and has been considered as a specific marker of lymph. In this study, the gene encoding the extracellular part of PDPN (ePDPN) was synthesized and used to expressed fusion protein ePDPN-His and GST-ePDPN, respectively, in E.coli. The purified GST-ePDPN fusion protein was mixed with QuickAntibody-Mouse5W adjuvant to immune mice, and the antiserum titer was determined by indirect ELISA. A stable cell line named 5B3 generating anti-PDPN monoclonal antibody (mAb) was obtained by hybridoma technology. The isotype of 5B3 cell line was IgG2b, and the chromosome number was 102 ± 4. The 5B3 mAb was purified successfully from ascites fluid through Protein G column, and its affinity constant was 2.94 × 108 L/mol. Besides, excellent specificity of the 5B3 mAb was further demonstrated in ELISA, western blot and immunohistochemistry experiments, suggesting that 5B3 mAb displays similar application value to D2-40, a commercial available antibody. Hence, the current study provides conclusive guidelines for preparation of other mAbs and their applications in immunohistochemistry diagnosis.

Citreoviridin (CIT), a neurotoxic mycotoxin produced by Penicillium citreonigrum is generally detected in cereal grains and agricultural products worldwide, and has numerous toxicological effects on human and animal health. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a rapid, sensitive, and reliable immunoassay method for CIT. In this study, artificial antigen CIT-KLH and CIT-BSA was successfully prepared via succinic anhydride and carbodiimide two-step method. CIT-KLH conjugates were injected into Balb/c mice, and titer of the antiserum against CIT was determined using CIT-BSA as coating antigen by ELISA method. A hybridoma cell line 8D8 stably secreting monoclonal antibody against CIT was generated by fusing SP2/0 myeloma cells with the splenocytes from the immunized mice. The titer of 8D8 mAb reached 1: 1.28 × 10(5) after purified by caprylic/ammonium sulfate precipitation (CA-AS) method. The 8D8 mAb was identified as IgG1 subtype. The cross-reactivity results indicated that anti-CIT mAb was highly specific to Citreoviridin, and the average affinity 4.57 × 10(8) L/mol. A sensitive indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) for CIT was established. Under optimal condition, the linear range to detect CIT was 11.02-2370.48 ng/mL with IC50 of 161.66 ng/mL and the limit of detection of the ic-ELISA was 11.86 ng/mL. With the mean coefficient of variation lowing 5%, the mean recovery in intra-assay and inter-assay were (90.06 ± 1.60)% and (89.65 ± 1.69)%, respectively. Therefore, the anti-CIT mAb secreted by 8D8 hybridoma cell line is useful for analysis of food contaminated with CIT.

Okadaic Acid (OA), a small seafood-borne toxin secreted by Dinophysis and Prorocentrum dinoflagellates, is generally distributed in various species of shellfish and has caused diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP). In view of OA toxin threat to humans and animals, it is essential to develop a rapid, accurate and sensitive method for the detection and quantification of OA in real samples. In this study, a monoclonal antibody named 10E8 was screened by cells fusion of Sp2/0 with spleen cells isolated from immunized mouse, and the isotype of McAb 10E8 was belonged to IgG1. The resulted McAb 10E8 displayed higher specificity to OA antigen, with the highest affinity of 2.66×109L/moL until now. Indirect competitive ELISA (ic-ELISA) indicated that the linear range to detect OA was 20-750ng/mL. The limit of detection (LOD) was 12pg/mL, and the recovery average was (84.04±5.08)%. The LOD of colloidal gold immunoassay by naked eye and strip reader was 1ng/mL and 100pg/mL, respectively, with an average recovery of (88.0275±4.4225)%. Therefore, the developed ELISA and colloidal gold immunoassay based on this McAb can be used for OA detection in real samples.

Since the development of antibody-production techniques, a number of immunoglobulins have been developed on a large scale using conventional methods. Hybridoma technology opened a new horizon in the production of antibodies against target antigens of infectious pathogens, malignant diseases including autoimmune disorders, and numerous potent toxins. However, these clinical humanized or chimeric murine antibodies have several limitations and complexities. Therefore, to overcome these difficulties, recent advances in genetic engineering techniques and phage display technique have allowed the production of highly specific recombinant antibodies. These engineered antibodies have been constructed in the hunt for novel therapeutic drugs equipped with enhanced immunoprotective abilities, such as engaging immune effector functions, effective development of fusion proteins, efficient tumor and tissue penetration, and high-affinity antibodies directed against conserved targets. Advanced antibody engineering techniques have extensive applications in the fields of immunology, biotechnology, diagnostics, and therapeutic medicines. However, there is limited knowledge regarding dynamic antibody development approaches. Therefore, this review extends beyond our understanding of conventional polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. Furthermore, recent advances in antibody engineering techniques together with antibody fragments, display technologies, immunomodulation, and broad applications of antibodies are discussed to enhance innovative antibody production in pursuit of a healthier future for humans.

Citrinin (CTN) is a hepato-nephrotoxic mycotoxin produced by fungi genera of Aspergillus, Monauscus, and Penicillium. CTN contaminates grains, fruits, juices and vegetables, and causes various toxic effects to humans and animals. It has small molecular weight, which is non-immunogenic to animals. Thus, CTN was conjugated to bovine serum albumin (BSA) and ovalbumin (OVA), respectively, by amide bonds using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS). Mice were immunized with CTN-BSA conjugates, and spleen cells of the immunized mice were fused with Sp2/0 myeloma cells to obtain 21H27 hybriodoma cell. Ascitic fluid of hybridoma cell was produced in mice abdomen, and purified using caprylic/ammonium sulfate precipitation method. The 21H27 anti-CTN mcAb was the IgG2a antibody subclass, and cross-reactivity results indicated that anti-CTN mcAb is specific to CTN with high affinity (2.0 × 108 L/mol). Indirect competitive ELISA (ic-ELISA) results showed that the linear range of detection was 0.01–5.96 ng/mL and the IC50 was 0.28 ng/mL with a lower detection limit (LOD) of 0.01 ng/mL. The average recovery was 93.8% ± 1.6% with a coefficient variation of 1.0%–4.3%. Hence, anti-CTN mcAb secreted by 21H27 hybridoma cell was successfully produced and can be used to detect CTN contaminated feed and foodstuffs.

A monoclonal hybridoma cell named 5B9 against tetrodotoxin (TTX) was obtained after fusion of myeloma SP2/0 cells with spleen cells isolated from the immunized Balb/c mice. The 5B9 monoclonal antibody (McAb) with high affinity (about 2.55 × 10(9)) is specific to TTX, and this McAb belongs to the immunoglobulin G (IgG) isotype. Finally, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and colloidal gold immunoassay were established based on this McAb. The linear range of ELISA to detect TTX was 5-500 ng/mL, and the limit of detection (LOD) was 4.44 ng/mL. The average CV of intra- and inter-assay was less than 8%, with the samples recovery range of 70.93-99.99%. A competitive format colloidal gold strip was developed for detection of TTX in real samples, and the LOD for TTX is 20 ng/mL, and the assay time of the qualitative test can be finished in less than 10 min without any equipment. The result from test strip revealed that the test strip has a good agreement with those obtained from ELISA.

Citreoviridin (CIT), a neurotoxic mycotoxin produced by Penicillium citreonigrum is generally detected in cereal grains and agricultural products worldwide, and has numerous toxicological effects on human and animal health. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a rapid, sensitive, and reliable immunoassay method for CIT. In this study, artificial antigen CIT-KLH and CIT-BSA was successfully prepared via succinic anhydride and carbodiimide two-step method. CIT-KLH conjugates were injected into Balb/c mice, and titer of the antiserum against CIT was determined using CIT-BSA as coating antigen by ELISA method. A hybridoma cell line 8D8 stably secreting monoclonal antibody against CIT was generated by fusing SP2/0 myeloma cells with the splenocytes from the immunized mice. The titer of 8D8 mAb reached 1: 1.28 × 10(5) after purified by caprylic/ammonium sulfate precipitation (CA-AS) method. The 8D8 mAb was identified as IgG1 subtype. The cross-reactivity results indicated that anti-CIT mAb was highly specific to Citreoviridin, and the average affinity 4.57 × 10(8) L/mol. A sensitive indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) for CIT was established. Under optimal condition, the linear range to detect CIT was 11.02-2370.48 ng/mL with IC50 of 161.66 ng/mL and the limit of detection of the ic-ELISA was 11.86 ng/mL. With the mean coefficient of variation lowing 5%, the mean recovery in intra-assay and inter-assay were (90.06 ± 1.60)% and (89.65 ± 1.69)%, respectively. Therefore, the anti-CIT mAb secreted by 8D8 hybridoma cell line is useful for analysis of food contaminated with CIT.

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a small molecular weight neurotoxin that occludes voltage-gated sodium channels in nerve and muscle tissue, resulting in respiratory paralysis and death. A high affinity antibody that can neutralize the toxicity of TTX is still lacking, so it is very important to prepare an antibody for TTX therapy and detection. In the present study, a chemical method was used to prepare the tetrodotoxin complete antigen, and a small amount, repeatedly immunity way was carried to immunize 4 mice. The amplified genes encoding monoclonal antibodies against TTX were used to construct the phage display library. After six rounds of biopanning, an antibody named scFv-T53 was characterized from clones showing high affinity and specific to TTX, and its affinity constant was 1.1 × 10 6 L/mol. Three dimensional structure of the scFv-T53 was constructed by computer modeling, and TTX was docked to the scFv-T53 model to obtain the structure of the binding complex. Two predicted essential amino acids, K183 and I189, were mutated to verify the theoretical model. Both mutants lost binding activity significantly against TTX as predicted by the theoretical model. Hence, the above results will be useful for screening the high affinity anti-TTX scFv mutants.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a halophilic gram-negative bacterium, is a food-borne pathogen that largely inhabits marine and estuarine environments, and poses a serious threat to human and animal health all over the world. The hollow "needle" channel, a specific assemble of T3SS which exists in most of gram-negative bacteria, plays a key role in the transition of virulence effectors to host cells. In this study, needle protein VP1694 was successfully expressed and purified, and the fusion protein Trx-VP1694 was used to immunize Balb/c mice. Subsequently, a phage single-chain fragment variable antibody (scFv) library was constructed, and a specific scFv against VP1694 named scFv-FA7 was screened by phage display panning. To further identify the characters of scFv, the soluble expression vector pACYC-scFv-skp was constructed and the soluble scFv was purified by Ni(2+) affinity chromatography. ELISA analysis showed that the scFv-FA7 was specific to VP1694 antigen, and its affinity constant was 1.07 × 10(8 )L/mol. These results offer a molecular basis to prevent and cure diseases by scFv, and also provide a new strategy for further research on virulence mechanism of T3SS in V. parahaemolyticus by scFv.

As a transmembrane enzyme, ATP synthase plays an important role in energy metabolism of organ tissues, as well as in tumors. In this study we generated a monoclonal antibody, 6G11, to the catalytic subunit of F1-F0 ATP synthase (ATP5B). The SDS-PAGE result demonstrated that the hybridoma clone had a molecular weight of 50 and 27 kDa components that could be the heavy and light chains of the monoclonal antibody, respectively. Chromosome analysis of the hybridoma clone proved that they had 98 to 102 chromosomal numbers that were the sum of the SP2/0 and spleen cells. Western blot assay revealed that the hybridoma clone reacted specifically with the ATP synthase beta subunit, but not with other proteins. In addition, the subclass of the hybridoma clone was identified as IgG1 by capture ELISA. Furthermore, it demonstrated that the antibody retained stability after half a year. These results indicated that the hybridoma clone 6G11 was a monoclonal antibody with significant stability and special reactivity to ATP5B antigen.