Radioimmunoassays for the Quantitative Determination of Cembratrienediol

Abstract

Radioimmunoassays for the determination of pmol amounts of α-cembratrienediol as well as β-cembratrienediol have been developed. The antisera were raised against conjugates of the respective cembratrienediol isomer with bovine serum albumin. The measuring range extends from 5 to 100 ng for the α-cembratrienediol assay and from 10 to 100 ng for the β-cembratrienediol assay with detection limits of 3.33 pmol and 10 pmol, respectively. The antisera are highly specific for their respective antigen and distinguish sharply between both diastereoisomers. The assays allow the rapid, sensitive, and precise determination of cembratrienediol in unpurified plant extracts. The distribution of α- as well as β-cembratrienediol in Nicotiana tabacum plants and the localization of these substances within leaf tissue and trichome cells of the leaf surface were investigated.