Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of yessotoxin and its analogues.

Polyclonal antibodies were produced for the development of competitive enzyme-linked immunoassays for use in quantifying yessotoxins in shellfish, algal cells, and culture supernatants. Immunizing and plate coating antigens were prepared by derivatization of yessotoxin either by ozonolysis or bromination and conjugation to proteins. Two assays that were the most sensitive for yessotoxin were optimized and characterized.

Validation study to demonstrate the equivalence of a minor modification (TECRA ULTIMA protocol) to AOAC Method 998.09 (TECRA Salmonella Visual Immunoassay) with the cultural reference method.

The TECRA Salmonella Visual Immunoassay (VIA) using Rappaport-Vassiliadis RV[R10] as a single selective enrichment broth has Final Action approval (AOAC Method 998.09). TECRA has recently developed a protocol (TECRA ULTIMA), which involves the addition of a new additive to a 1 mL aliquot of the RV[R10] broth, prior to the heat-killing step, thereby allowing the RV[R10] broth to be tested directly in the kit and thus eliminating the need for the 2 h post-enrichment in M broth.

Measurement of brevetoxin levels by radioimmunoassay of blood collection cards after acute, long-term, and low-dose exposure in mice.

We developed a radioimmunoassay (RIA) using a sheep anti-brevetoxin antiserum to evaluate detection of brevetoxin on blood collection cards from mice treated with the brevetoxin congener PbTx-3. The RIA has high affinity for PbTx-3 [half-maximal effective concentration (EC(50)) +/- SE = 1.2 +/- 0.