Enzyme immunoassay of viomycin. New cross-linking reagent for enzyme labelling and a preparation method for antiserum to viomycin.

A new cross-linking reagent of the hetero-bisfunctional type, a N-(maleimidobenzoyloxy)-succinimide (MBS) was prepared and used for enzyme labelling of viomycin under mild aqueous conditions by a two-step process. In the first step a maleimide residue was selectively introduced onto the N1-amino group of viomycin with a limited amount of MBS. The second step consisted of thioether formation between the maleimide residue and free thiol groups of beta-D-galactosidase. An antiserum to viomycin was raised in rabbit by immunization with a viomycin-BSA conjugate. The conjugate was prepared by protecting N6-amino group of viomycin with an acetyl group and succinylating the N1-amino group, activating the carboxyl group by a mixed anhydride method and coupling it with the amino groups of bovine serum albumin (BSA). The specificity of the antiserum was proved by an enzyme immunoassay based on the competition between viomycin and its enzyme conjugate toward diluted solutions of the antiserum. By use of the viomycin-enzyme conjugate and the antiserum to viomycin, enzyme immunoassay of viomycin was successfully performed by the competitive binding procedure with the double-antibody method, and 0.1 to 4 ng of the antibiotic could be detected.