Rapid Detection of Abrin Toxin and Its Isoforms in Complex Matrices by Immuno-Extraction and Quantitative High Resolution Targeted Mass Spectrometry

Anal Chem. 2017 Nov 7;89(21):11719-11727. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.7b03189. Epub 2017 Oct 20.

Abstract

Abrin expressed by the tropical plant Abrus precatorius is highly dangerous with an estimated human lethal dose of 0.1-1 μg/kg body weight. Due to the potential misuse as a biothreat agent, abrin is in the focus of surveillance. Fast and reliable methods are therefore of great importance for early identification. Here, we have developed an innovative and rapid multiepitope immuno-mass spectrometry workflow which is capable of unambiguously differentiating abrin and its isoforms in complex matrices. Toxin-containing samples were incubated with magnetic beads coated with multiple abrin-specific antibodies, thereby concentrating and extracting all the isoforms. Using an ultrasonic bath for digestion enhancement, on-bead trypsin digestion was optimized to obtain efficient and reproducible peptide recovery in only 30 min. Improvements made to the workflow reduced total analysis time to less than 3 h. A large panel of common and isoform-specific peptides was monitored by multiplex LC-MS/MS through the parallel reaction monitoring mode on a quadrupole-Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometer. Additionally, absolute quantification was accomplished by isotope dilution with labeled AQUA peptides. The newly established method was demonstrated as being sensitive and reproducible with quantification limits in the low ng/mL range in various food and clinical matrices for the isoforms of abrin and also the closely related, less toxic Abrus precatorius agglutinin. This method allows for the first time the rapid detection, differentiation, and simultaneous quantification of abrin and its isoforms by mass spectrometry.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Abrin / analysis*
  • Abrin / chemistry
  • Abrin / isolation & purification*
  • Abrin / metabolism
  • Abrus / chemistry
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Chemical Fractionation / methods*
  • Milk / chemistry
  • Models, Molecular
  • Protein Conformation
  • Proteolysis
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry*
  • Time Factors
  • Toxins, Biological / analysis*
  • Toxins, Biological / chemistry
  • Toxins, Biological / isolation & purification*
  • Toxins, Biological / metabolism

Substances

  • Toxins, Biological
  • Abrin