A rapid sensitive radioimmunoassay for rhodopsin: development and application.

Antisera have been raised against unbleached chromatographically pure bovine rhodopsin. A rapid sensitive radioimmunoassay (RIA) has been developed for rhodopsin, employing [125I]rhodopsin labeled using the Bolton-Hunter reagent. Protein A-bearing Staphylococcus aureus cells are used to precipitate the immune complex. Subpicomolar amounts of rhodopsin can be determined when the RIA is performed in the dark using any of nine different detergents tested. When the RIA is performed using bleached rhodopsin, the results are dependent upon the detergent in which the assay is performed. Bleached rhodopsin is most immunologically similar to unbleached rhodopsin in the mildest detergents and less similar in harsher detergents. One and a half times more bleached rhodopsin is required to compete to the same extent as unbleached rhodopsin when the RIA is performed in digitonin. Results for other detergents are: sucrose monoester, 5.0; CHAPS, 64; sodium cholate, 91; octylglucoside, 250; Triton X-100, 430; Emulphogene, 570; Ammonyx LO approximately 14,000; CTAB, unmeasureable. Other species of rhodopsin were tested as competitive in the RIA. Pig rhodopsin is 1/100th as effective a competitor as bovine rhodopsin, rat 1/200th, and frog 1/800th.