title: Recombinant single-chain Fv antibody fragment-alkaline phosphatase conjugate for one-step immunodetection in molecular hybridization.
abstract: Using phage-display technology, a recombinant single-chain Fv antibody fragment (scFv) was rapidly generated from the K16-16 hybridoma secreting mouse monoclonal antibody (MAb) that binds to acetylaminofluorene-labeled DNA (AAF-DNA). The selected A4 phage-scFv specifically bound to AAF-DNA. The anti-AAF scFv gene was then recloned into a fusion vector for the production of a hybrid protein comprising the antibody fragment fused to a potent bacterial alkaline phosphatase variant (PhoAv). The anti-AAF scFv-PhoAv hybrid protein was bifunctional and possessed both antigen binding capacity and PhoA activity. The recombinant conjugate was directly used, without further purification, for one-step immunodetection in dot-blot hybridization. The detection limit was identical and the test was quicker than the conventional two-step procedure with the purified anti-AAF MAb revealed with a secondary enzyme-labeled antibody. To assess the value of this new reagent for the immunodetection of genomic nucleic acids, genomic DNAs of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli were then one-step immunodetected with non-purified recombinant scFv-PhoAv conjugate in a Southern-blot hybridization experiment. The present study shows that the genetic fusion with PhoAv provides a new tool for immunodetection which presents easier and quicker production and use with the same sensitivity and specificity as classical reagents. The recombinant anti-AAF scFv-PhoAv conjugate is a promising alternative reagent for applications involving the immunodetection of specific DNA or RNA sequences, such as the detection and characterization of microorganisms.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Prédéveloppement des Sondes, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chevrier
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Boulain
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Guesdon
mesh_terms: D015073:2-Acetylaminofluorene / Q000276:immunology; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D007128:Immunoglobulin Fragments / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization / Q000379:methods*; D012313:RNA / Q000032:analysis*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007128:Immunoglobulin Fragments; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C055966:immunoglobulin Fv; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA; D015073:2-Acetylaminofluorene; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase