Abstract
A new viomycin-bovine serum albumin conjugate was characterized, and 19 viomycin molecules were found to be coupled with one molecule of the carrier protein. Enzyme labelling of viomycin with β-D-galactosidase was performed by a continuous two-step process using a maleimide succinimidyl ester type cross-linker. The optical conditions for enzyme immunoassay of viomycin using the new anti-viomycin antiserum and the enzyme labelled viomycin (double antibody method) were studied and a procedure with satisfactory accuracy and precision was developed. The specificities of two anti-viomycin antisera were compared by the enzyme immunoassay technique. Evidence that the enzyme immunoassay procedure is preferable to radioimmunoassay for a comparative study is also presented.
