Immunochemical Assay for Satratoxin G and other Macrocyclic Trichothecenes Associated with Indoor Air Contamination by Stachybotrys chartarum

Abstract

Although satratoxin G (SG) is the primary macrocyclic trichothecene produced by Stachybotrys chartarum, a fungus frequently associated with outbreaks of indoor air illness, little is known about the actual quantities of this mycotoxin in suspect or normal building environments. Using antibodies produced against an SG hemisuccinate-bovine serum albumin conjugate, we devised an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay that enabled the detection of as little as 100 pg/mL of SG and that could also detect other members of the satratoxin family. Detection by this assay of satratoxins in methanolic extracts of S. chartarum in rice cultures was comparable to that of high-performance liquid chromatography, indicating that this assay will be useful in detecting SG and other satratoxins in environmental samples.