Murine monoclonal anti-avidin antibodies enhance the sensitivity of avidin-biotin immunoassays and immunohistologic staining.

To improve the sensitivity of conventional immunoassay methods using avidin-biotin-enzyme complex reagents, we have developed several murine monoclonal antibodies to the egg white avidin glycoprotein. These anti-avidin antibodies enhance the sensitivity of avidin-biotin immunoassays by selectively enlarging the avidin-biotin-enzyme complex through bridging avidin to a second layer of avidin-biotin-enzyme complex, thereby increasing the signal from substrate conversion. Six hybridomas producing murine monoclonal antibodies which bind avidin-biotin-enzyme complexes were isolated and cloned. Two of these anti-avidin antibodies, WC19.10 and WC19.7, have been shown to produce a four-fold enhancement of signal obtained in avidin-biotin-enzyme ELISAs and qualitative enhancement of immunohistologic staining procedures.