ENZYME-LINKED-IMMUNOSORBENT-ASSAY BY IMAGE-ANALYSIS USING A CHARGE-COUPLED-DEVICE ARRAY DETECTOR

This paper describes a fluorescence enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the quantification of (+/-)-2-(2,4-dichlorophen-oxy)propio nic methyl ester (dichlorprop methyl ester). Antibodies for dichlorpro p methyl ester were produced by immunizing rabbits with a conjugate of dichlorprop methyl ester with bovine serum albumin. Data acquisition on microtiter wells is performed by a spectrofluorometer through a fib er optic and by a charge-coupled device camera, A correlation was obta ined between the image analysis data on ELISA and the data acquired by the spectrofluorometer. The results demonstrate that the fluorescence image analysis performed by the charge-coupled device detector is app licable to ELISA, and the analysis time, sensitivity, and precision of the ELISA procedure are compared to conventional fluorescence ELISA p erformed by the spectrofluorometer. The ELISA procedure was selective for structurally similar compounds or usually found in formulation pes ticides. Concentrations for 50% displacement curves were dichlorprop, 83.59 mu g/ml, and 2,4,5-T, 388.23 mu g/ml; triclopyr, ioxynil, bentaz one, and MCPA had no response. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.