Investigation of the interactions between beta-lactams and a metallo-beta-lactamase from bacillus cereus using a monoclonal antibody

A novel thermometric biosensor for fast surveillance of β-lactamase activity in milk

Regulatory restrictions on antibiotic residues in dairy products have resulted in the illegal addition of β-lactamase to lower antibiotic levels in milk in China. Here we demonstrate a fast, sensitive and convenient method based on enzyme thermistor (ET) for the surveillance of β-lactamase in milk. A fixed amount of penicillin G, which is a specific substrate of β-lactamase, was incubated with the milk sample, and an aliquot of the mixture was directly injected into the ET system to give a temperature change corresponding to the remained penicillin G. The amount of β-lactamase present in sample was deduced by the penicillin G consumed during incubation. This method was successfully applied to quantify β-lactamase in milk with the linear range of 1.1-20 UmL(-1) and the detection limit of 1.1 UmL(-1). The recoveries ranged from 93% to 105%, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) below 8%. The stability of the column equipped in ET was also studied, and only 5% decrease of activity was observed after 60 days of use. Compared with the conventional culture-based assay, the advantages of high throughput, timesaving and accurate quantification have made this method an ideal alternative for routine use.

Development of a sensitive and specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detecting and quantifying CMY-2 and SHV beta-lactamases

Polyclonal rabbit antibodies against SHV-1 and CMY-2 beta-lactamases were produced and characterized, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were developed. Immunoblots revealed that the anti-SHV-1 antibody recognized SHV-1 but did not recognize TEM-1, K-1, OXA-1, or any AmpC beta-lactamase tested. The anti-CMY-2 antibody detected Escherichia coli CMY-2, Enterobacter cloacae P99, Klebsiella pneumoniae ACT-1, and the AmpC beta-lactamases of Enterobacter aerogenes, Morganella morganii, and Citrobacter freundii. No cross-reactivity of the anti-CMY-2 antibody was seen against laboratory strains of E. coli possessing TEM-1, SHV-1, K-1, or OXA-1 beta-lactamases. Operating conditions for performing ELISAs were optimized. Both anti-CMY-2 and anti-SHV-1 antibodies detected picogram quantities of purified protein in ELISAs. The reactivity of the anti-CMY-2 antibody was tested against a number of AmpC beta-lactamases by assaying known quantities of purified enzymes in ELISAs (AmpC beta-lactamases of M. morganii, C. freundii, E. coli, and E. cloacae). As the homology to CMY-2 beta-lactamase decreased, the minimum level needed for detection increased (e.g., 94% homology recognized at 1 ng/ml and 71% homology recognized at 10 ng/ml). The ELISAs were used to assay unknown clinical isolates for AmpC and SHV beta-lactamases, and the results were confirmed with PCR amplification of bla(AmpC) and bla(SHV) genes. Overall, we found that our ELISAs were at least 95% sensitive and specific for detecting SHV and AmpC beta-lactamases. The ELISA format can facilitate the identification of AmpC and SHV beta-lactamases and can be used to quantify relative amounts of beta-lactamase enzymes in clinical and laboratory isolates.