Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Using Combined Procedure of Immunomagnetic Separation and Test Strip Liposome Immunoassay

A model system for the immnunochemical detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 using a combined immunomagnetic separation (IMS) and test-strip liposome immunoassay (LIA) procedure was developed. Immunomagnetic beads coated with anti-E. coli O157 IgG antibodies were used to separate the E. coli O157 (including the H7 serotype) from culture. Immunoliposomes, whose surface was conjugated to goat anti-E. coli O157:H7 IgG and which encapsulated the marker dye, sulforhodamine B, were used as a detection label. The test strip, onto which antibodies to goat IgG were immobilized, was the immunosensor capturing immunoliposomes that did not bind to E. coli O157:H7 on the immunomagnetic bead-E. coli O157:H7 complexes. In experiments, pure cell culture suspensions of $10^5 E.$ coli O157:H7 organisms per ml produced a measurable signal inhibition, whereas a weak yet detectable signal inhibition occurred with $10^3CFU/ml$. The inhibition signals increased, when the incubation time for IMS was extended to 90 min and higher IgG-tag density (0.4mol%) was used on the liposomes. With 0.2 and 0.4mol% IgG-tagged liposomes, the IMS-LIA procedure showed more improved signal inhibitions than those of a direct (no IMS) LIA. The combined assay, which measures the instantaneous signal from immunoliposomes, can be completed within 90 min, making it significantly faster than conventional plating methods and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Accordingly, it is quite feasible to use the combined immunoassay format of IMS and dye-loaded immunoliposomes for the detection of E. coli O157:H7.