1999 Volume 15 Issue 4 Pages 343-347
The strong interaction between biotin and avidin is utilized for the development of enzyme-linked competitive binding assays not only for biotin itself, but also for other biomolecules. Alkaline phosphatase, a single substrate enzyme typically used for heterogeneous types of competitive binding assays, is employed also for homogeneous types. For the biotin assay, the heterogeneous protocol offers a much improved detection capability when compared to the homogeneous type. A simple approach of simulating dose-response curves is introduced. An effective analyte concentration attached to an enzyme label is determined by using the same binder, but with a different enzyme label. The analyte system adapted to the biotin/avidin-mediated homogeneous protocol is digoxin and a monoclonal anti-digoxin antibody. The detection capabilities of these assays, particularly the homogeneous types, are shown to be limited by the detectability of the enzyme conjugate employed.
