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Alkaline phosphatase release assay to determine cytotoxicity for Listeria species

A K Bhunia1, D G Westbrook

  • 1Food Microbiology and Immunochemistry Laboratory, Department of Life Sciences, Alabama A & M University 35762, USA. aamaxb01@asnaam.aamu.edu

Insights

A new alkaline phosphatase (AP) assay effectively detects cytotoxicity from Listeria infections. This method offers a more sensitive alternative to the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay for identifying Listeria-induced cell damage.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Listeria species are significant human pathogens.
  • Assessing Listeria-induced cell damage is crucial for diagnostics.
  • Existing cytotoxicity assays may have limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate a simple cytotoxicity assay for Listeria species.
  • To compare the efficacy of alkaline phosphatase (AP) release assay with lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay for detecting Listeria-induced cell damage.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a hybrid B lymphocyte (Ped-2E9) cell line.
  • Infected cells with various Listeria species, including L. monocytogenes and L. ivanovii.
  • Measured the release of alkaline phosphatase (AP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) from infected cells.

Main Results:

  • Eight of eight L. monocytogenes and six of 11 L. ivanovii strains induced significantly high AP release.
  • All tested L. monocytogenes and L. ivanovii strains showed high LDH release.
  • AP release correlated with severe membrane damage, indicated by its molecular mass (128-165 kDa).

Conclusions:

  • The AP assay is a sensitive method for detecting cytotoxicity induced by Listeria species.
  • AP assay can be a superior alternative to LDH assay for Listeria-induced cell damage detection.
  • This assay provides a valuable tool for microbiological and toxicological studies.

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