ARS | Publication request: DEVELOPMENT OF MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES SPECIFIC FOR RICIN

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: May 31, 2006
Publication Date: June 21, 2006
Citation: Brandon, D.L., Cheng, L.W., He, X., Carter, J.M. 2006. Development of monoclonal antibodies specific for ricin. [Abstract]. ACS National Meeting and Exposition. Oral Presentation AGRO 234

Technical Abstract: Ricin is a dichain ribosome-inactivating protein from the beans of Ricinus communis (castor), and has been used for experimental cancer chemotherapy as well as for intentional poisoning. It is enriched in the extracted mash of castor beans following the recovery of castor oil, a high quality industrial lubricant. There is a need for analytical methodology to quantify ricin in both castor extracts and food matrices. We developed monoclonal antibodies to ricin, derived from mice that had been inoculated with the nontoxic, isolated A or B chain. Most of the antibodies showed strong cross-reactivity with RCA-1, an agglutinin homologous to ricin, but having an altered B chain, a different quaternary structure, and low toxicity. One antibody bound RCA-1 selectively. These antibodies have proven effective in various ELISA formats, with IC50’s in the range of 10-100 ng/mL. The ELISA results will be presented in comparison to the results of commercialized assays and bioassays.