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Profiling Norovirus Antibody Specificity and Function Using Luciferase Immunoprecipitation System (LIPS) Assays
Jessica M van Loben Sels1, Christine M Tin1, Ian G Goodfellow2
1Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|October 14, 2025
Summary
The luciferase immunoprecipitation system (LIPS) assay quantifies antibodies by measuring luminescence. This sensitive method, including LIPS-Blockade, detects norovirus antibodies and their blocking function, offering an alternative to traditional assays.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Virology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- The luciferase immunoprecipitation system (LIPS) is a sensitive, high-throughput immunoassay.
- It quantifies antigen-specific serum antibodies using Renilla luciferase (Ruc) reporter enzyme.
- LIPS has been adapted for detecting antibodies against noroviruses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detail protocols for the LIPS assay for detecting human norovirus-specific serum antibodies.
- To describe the LIPS-Blockade assay for measuring antibody functionality, specifically carbohydrate-binding blockade.
- To present LIPS and LIPS-Blockade as alternatives to standard immunosorbent assays.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing the LIPS assay, which involves fusing an antigen of interest to Renilla luciferase (Ruc).
- Measuring luminescence emitted by Ruc to quantify antigen-specific serum antibodies.
- Employing the LIPS-Blockade assay to assess the ability of antibodies to block norovirus carbohydrate binding.
Main Results:
- The LIPS assay provides a sensitive and high-throughput method for profiling serum antibodies against diverse antigens.
- The LIPS-Blockade assay effectively measures antibody functionality, correlating with neutralizing antibody levels.
- Both LIPS and LIPS-Blockade assays demonstrate utility as alternatives to conventional serological methods.
Conclusions:
- The LIPS assay is a versatile tool for quantifying antigen-specific antibodies.
- LIPS and LIPS-Blockade assays offer robust methods for detecting and functionally characterizing norovirus-specific antibodies.
- These assays provide valuable alternatives for serological profiling in virology research.
