Novel Cell-Based Assays for Detecting Low Levels of Active Ricin Following Decontamination
Abstract
Ricin is a potent protein toxin derived from the seed of the castor bean plant, Ricinus communis. It is a heterodimeric ribosome-inactivating protein (66 kDa in size) with A and B chains linked via disulfide bonds. The A and B chains must be linked for ricin to be toxic to mammalian cells. The B chain binds to the mammalian cell surface and the A chain enzymatically cleaves 28S ribosomal ribonucleic acid at adenine nucleotide (A4324) near the 3 end of the polynucleotide chain. This deletion results in inhibition of protein synthesis and subsequently, results in cell death. Through a collaborative interagency agreement funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC), the U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) and NHSRC have developed a novel bioassay for detecting functional ricin following decontamination procedures. The specific objectives were to develop a novel cell-based assay for functional ricin and to investigate the use and application of the newly-developed bioassay in confirming the absence or presence of functional toxin in post-decontaminated samples from building interior surfaces. Within this report, we summarize the work performed resulting in an optimized cell-based assay, which can reliably detect low levels of holoricin.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA607459
Entities
People
- Lalena Wallace
- Lisa S. Smith
- Saumil Shah
- Vipin K. Rastogi
Organizations
- Edgewood Chemical Biological Center