Patent ID: 7399607
Filing Date: 2008-07-15
Classification: C12N,C12Q,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method of determining the presence or activity of a clostridial toxin, comprising the steps of: (a) treating with a sample including a clostridial toxin, under conditions suitable for clostridial toxin protease activity, a clostridial toxin substrate, said clostridial toxin substrate comprising (b) measuring fluorescence polarization of said treated clostridial toxin substrate by exciting said fluorophore with plane polarized light; wherein an increase in said fluorescence polarization is indicative of the activity of said clostridial toxin in said sample due to cleavag clostridial toxin substrate by said clostridial toxin; and wherein a decrease in said fluorescence polarization is indicative of the presence of said clostridial toxin in said sample due to complex formation of said clostridial toxin with said treated clostridial toxin substrate.