Synthesis of latent chromophores for coupling with alcohol oxidase as a novel visual indicator system for ELISA

CHED 490

Lanita Marie Gaworski, lmgaworski@stthomas.edu and J. Thomas Ippoliti, jtippoliti@stthomas.edu. Department of Chemistry, University of Saint Thomas, 2115 Summit Ave, OSS 402, St. Paul, MN 55105
Alcohol oxidase (AOX) is an enzyme, which can be isolated from the yeast Pichia pastoris. Alcohol oxidase reacts with primary alcohols forming an aldehyde and hydrogen peroxide. Alcohol oxidase and its reaction with primary alcohols are used in a new enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This ELISA gives a novel way to quantify antigen concentration in a sample using a latent chromophore as an indicator. The goal of this research is the synthesis of latent chromophores, which when coupled with alcohol oxidase and a primary alcohol, react with the hydrogen peroxide byproduct in the presence of air to give a visual colorimetric indicator. Progress has been made towards the formation of borate ester based indicators for use with in the novel ELISA. The intensity of the color change of the indicator is quantified in order to determine the amount of antigen within the sample.