This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Devic, E.
Right arrow Articles by Fournier, D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Devic, E.
Right arrow Articles by Fournier, D.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Devic, E.
Right arrow Articles by Fournier, D.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, August 2002, p. 4102-4106, Vol. 68, No. 8
0099-2240/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.68.8.4102-4106.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Detection of Anatoxin-a(s) in Environmental Samples of Cyanobacteria by Using a Biosensor with Engineered Acetylcholinesterases

Eric Devic,1 Dunhai Li,2 Alain Dauta,2 Peter Henriksen,3 Geoffrey A. Codd,4 Jean-Louis Marty,5 and Didier Fournier6*

G.T.P. Technology, Labège,1 CESAC, UMR 5576, CNRS-Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse cedex 4,2 Centre de Phytopharmacie, UMR 5054, CNRS-Université de Perpignan, Perpignan,5 LSPCMIB, Groupe de Biochimie des Protéines, Université Paul Sabatier, 31062 Toulouse, France,6 Department of Marine Ecology, National Environmental Research Institute, Roskilde, Denmark,3 School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, United Kingdom4

Received 15 January 2002/ Accepted 23 April 2002

Bioassays are little used to detect individual toxins in the environment because, compared to analytical methods, these assays are still limited by several problems, such as the sensitivity and specificity of detection. We tentatively solved these two drawbacks for detection of anatoxin-a(s) by engineering an acetylcholinesterase to increase its sensitivity and by using a combination of mutants to obtain increased analyte specificity. Anatoxin-a(s), a neurotoxin produced by some freshwater cyanobacteria, was detected by measuring the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity. By using mutated enzyme, the sensitivity of detection was brought to below the nanomole-per-liter level. However, anatoxin-a(s) is an organophosphorous compound, as are several synthetic molecules which are widely used as insecticides. The mode of action of these compounds is via inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, which makes the biotest nonspecific. The use of a four-mutant set of acetylcholinesterase variants, two mutants that are sensitive to anatoxin-a(s) and two mutants that are sensitive to the insecticides, allows specific detection of the cyanobacterial neurotoxin.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Groupe de Biochimie des Protéines, 4R3B1, Université Paul Sabatier, 31062 Toulouse, France. Phone: 33 0 5 61 55 69 10. Fax: 33 0 5 61 55 73 09. E-mail: fournier{at}cict.fr.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, August 2002, p. 4102-4106, Vol. 68, No. 8
0099-2240/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.68.8.4102-4106.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Lim, D. V., Simpson, J. M., Kearns, E. A., Kramer, M. F. (2005). Current and Developing Technologies for Monitoring Agents of Bioterrorism and Biowarfare. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 18: 583-607 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»