Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies were developed against domoic acid (DA), an algal toxin produced by the diatom Pseudonitzschia pungens. Three murine monoclonal antibodies, 4D1D, 9B10D, and 7D6C, were obtained from hybridoma clones. They were derived by fusion of mouse myeloma cells with mouse immune spleen cells derived from animals immunised with domoic acid-KLH conjugate. The hybridoma cell line 4D1D was adjusted to serum free medium. It produced monoclonal antibodies of high selectivity and sensitivity. Mass production was carried out with two different fermenter systems. Monoclonal antibody levels up to 0.7 mg/ml were obtained. No cross-reactivities against similar chemical structures and algal toxins such as kainic acid, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, geranic acid and 2-methyl-3-butenoic acid could be detected. A detection limit of 4 µg/l DA with a test midpoint (IC50) of 10 µg/l DA was achieved with a competitive enzyme immunoassay applying a streptavidin-biotin amplification system (ABC system). More...