Monoclonal antibody usage strategies for natural products in traditional chinese medicine

Abstract

Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against natural products with low-molecular weights have become an important tool when combined with other analytical systems. Eastern blotting involves a typical staining system wherein, for example, glycosides can be blotted to a membrane and cross-linked and stained using MAbs. An immunoaffinity column combined with a monoclonal antibody allows a one-step purification of hapten compounds or preparation of a knockout extract that removes only the target hapten molecules from a crude extract. Here, we discuss the application of these extracts. Single-chain variable fragment (scFv) proteins have led to novel assay systems such as fluobodies or antibodies coupled with green fluorescent protein for natural products. A typical novel application of a scFv gene would be in the context of plant breeding; this is designated “missile-type” molecular breeding, intended to increase hapten molecule concentrations in transgenic plants.

Keywords

• Eastern blotting
• immunoaffinity concentration
• Knockout extract
• monoclonal antibody
• single-chain variable fragment