Patent ID: 6958219

Claim:
A method for detecting an autoinducer of a Gram negative bacterium in a sample comprising: adding to the sample an antibody or a functionally active fragment thereof which binds immuno specifically to the autoinducer of the Gram negative bacterium having Formula (I): wherein X is O, S, N—(C 1 -C 6 ) alkyl, NR 2 , N-phenyl; Y is C 1 -C 6 straight or branched alkyl, C 1 -C 6 straight or branched alkenyl, C 1 -C 6 straight or branched alkynyl; Z is C═O, C═S, CHOH, C═N—NR 1 , C═N—OH, C 1 -C 8 straight or branched alkyl, C 1 -C 8 straight or branched alkenyl, C 1 -C 8 straight or branched alkynyl; L is C 1 -C 18 straight or branched alkyl, C 1 -C 18 straight or branched alkenyl C 1 -C 18 straight or branched alkynyl, or —CO 2 H, —CO 2 R 1 , —CHO, —C≡N, —N═C═O, —N═C═S, OH, OR 1 , —CH═CH—CH 2 Br, —CH═CH—CH 2 Cl, —SAc or SH, where R 1 is C 1 -C 6 straight or branched alkyl, m is 0 or 1; z is 0 or 1; R 2 is H, C 1 -C 6 straight or branched alkyl, C 1 -C 6 straight or branched alkenyl or C 1 -C 6 straight or branched alkynyl, or CO 2 H; and Q is CH or N; and n is 0-3 with the proviso that when n is 0, X is N—(C 1 -C 6 alkyl) or N-phenyl; and detecting whether immonospecific binding occurs between the antibody, or the functionally active fragment thereof, and the autoinducer of the Gram negative bacterium, wherein said immunospecific binding indicates presence of the autoinducer in the sample.