Ricin Activity Assay by Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry Detection of Adenine Release

摘要

Biotoxin activity assays typically involve multistep samplenpreparation, multicomponent reactions, multistep analysis,nor a combination thereof. We report a single-step, realtimenricin activity assay that requires little or no samplenpreparation and employs direct analysis in real time massnspectrometry. The release of adenine from the inhomogeneousnsubstrate herring sperm DNA by ricin wasndetermined to be 53 ( 2 pmol adenine per picomole ofnricin per hour. This procedure can be readily adapted tonany enzyme for which a reactant or product of lownmolecular weight (up to ∼600) can be identified.