Homogeneous Quenching Immunoassay for Fumonisin B Based on Gold Nanoparticles and an Epitope-Mimicking Yellow Fluorescent Protein.

Homogeneous immunoassays represent an attractive alternative to traditional heterogeneous assays due to their simplicity, sensitivity, and speed. On the basis of a previously identified epitope-mimicking peptide, or mimotope, we developed a homogeneous fluorescence quenching immunoassay based on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and a recombinant epitope-mimicking fusion protein for the detection of mycotoxin fumonisin B (FB). The fumonisin mimotope was cloned as a fusion protein with a yellow fluorescent protein that could be used directly as the tracer for FB detection without the need of labeling or a secondary antibody. Furthermore, owing to the fluorescence quenching ability of AuNPs, a homogeneous immunoassay could be performed in a single step without washing steps to separate the unbound tracer. The homogeneous quenching assay showed negligible matrix effects in 5% wheat extract and high sensitivity for FB detection, with a dynamic range from 7.3 to 22.6 ng mL, a detection limit of 1.1 ng mL, and IC value of 12.9 ng mL, which was significantly lower than the IC value of the previously reported assay using the synthetic counterpart of the same mimotope in a microarray format. The homogeneous assay was demonstrated to be specific for fumonisins B and B, as no significant cross-reactivity with other mycotoxins was observed, and acceptable recoveries (86% for FB 2000 μg kg and 103% for FB 4000 μg kg), with relative standard deviation less than 6.5%, were reported from spiked wheat samples, proving that the method could provide a valuable tool for simple analysis of mycotoxin-contaminated food samples.