Studies on immunoassays of peptide factors. II. Fluorescence enzyme immunoassay for human little-gastrin.

The fluorogenic chymotrypsin substrate N alpha-(4-carboxybutyryl)-L-phenylalanine (4-methyl-7-coumaryl)amide was converted to a thiol-containing compound via its condensation at the carboxyl function with cystamine followed by reduction of the resulting disulfide compound to a cysteamine derivative. By subsequent reaction of the thiol group with N alpha-maleoyl-beta-alanyl-human-little-gastrin-I-[2-17] a fluorogenic substrate-labeled gastrin, fully immunoreactive against antigastrin antisera, was obtained. This tracer was then applied for developing a fluorescence immunoassay based on separation of bound and free tracer followed by chymotryptic digestion of the fluorogenic substrate in the supernatant. The fluorescence intensity of the extracted fluorophore i.e., 7-amino-4-methyl-coumarin, was found to monitor gastrin concentrations in a reproducible manner. With the model peptide hormone human little-gastrin-I the sensitivity of this alternative immunoassay procedure was well documented.