Detection of organophosphate bound butyrylcholinesterase using a monoclonal antibody

In this study, a specific antibody against butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) bound to organophosphate (OP) nerve agents was developed to be used in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). OP nerve agents such as sarin, soman, and VX are known to act on the neuromuscular junctions and were synthesized at the Armed Force Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Defense Command in Republic of Korea and studied after confirming inactivation of BuChE. Each inactivated OP-BuChE (OP-iBuChE) was used as the antigen for developing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in mice for detection of OP bound BuChE. The fusion was performed after immunization and then hybridoma cells for the antibodies were generated. As a result, the partial specific antibody against soman-iBuChE was confirmed via ELISA. Thus, the antibody may recognize three-dimensional structure of OP-iBuChE that is changed upon soman and BuChE reaction, not an OP binding pocket of BuChE. Furthermore, this partial specific monoclonal antibody may be used in a competitive ELISA to detect the soman-iBuChE. Taken together, we suggest that the antibody could be applied to evaluate the soman presence in blood, serum, and urine.