Rapid detection of cadmium-resistant plant growth promotory rhizobacteria: a perspective of ELISA and QCM-based immunosensor.

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) pseudomonads have a large number of lipopolysaccharides on the cell surface, which induces immune responses. Cd-resistant PGPR prevalent at the Cd-affected sites under biophytostabilization was monitored. Transmissiom electron microscopy was used to the study the behavior of tolerance of PGPR to cadmium level and its effect on pseudomonad strains (Z9, S2, KNP2, CRPF, and NBRI). An immunosensor was developed by immobilizing antibody (anti-Z9 or anti-S2) against selected PGPR on a piezoelectric quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). Immunosensors were found to supplement the inherent specificity of antigen-antibody reactions with the high sensitivity of a physical transducer. On comparison of the efficiency of detection with ELISA, the spectrophotometric technique, the developed immunosensor was found to be more sensitive, fast, and reliable even after regeneration for several times. Thus, the immunosensor may be used for future detection of PGPR strains after automation of the screening process.