Asbestos detection method, asbestos detection agent, asbestos detection kit, method for screening candidate for agent aiming at preventing or treating disease for which asbestos is causative or worsening factor

• US 8,372,596 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2006
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hiroshima University
• Original Assignee: Hiroshima University
• Inventors: Kuroda, Akio, Nomura, Kazutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Counts, Gary W
• Application Number:
  US12/093,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20090098578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,288 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 435/7.92
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2500/02 Screening involving studying the effect of compounds C on the interaction between interacting molecules A and B (e.g. A = enzyme and B = substrate for A, or A = receptor and B = ligand for the receptor)
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5308 for analytes not provided for elsewhere, e.g. nucleic acids, uric acid, worms, mites

Abstract

The present invention provides a prompt and easy asbestos detection method and a method for screening a candidate for an agent aiming at preventing or treating a disease for which asbestos is a causative or worsening factor. It is possible to quickly and easily detect asbestos in a sample by finding a protein capable of binding specifically to asbestos, allowing the protein or a fusion protein of the protein and a reporter protein to bind to asbestos in the sample, and then detecting the protein or the fusion protein having been bound to asbestos. A substance inhibiting the binding of actin to asbestos, which has been found out as a protein capable of binding specifically to asbestos, is a candidate for an agent aiming at preventing or treating a disease for which asbestos is a causative or worsening factor.

Claims

1. An asbestos detection method comprising:

a step of bringing a protein, capable of binding to asbestos in a solution containing at least 0.1 M or more sodium chloride, into contact with asbestos in a sample; and

a step of detecting the protein binding to the asbestos,

wherein the protein consists of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs;

1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, and 25.

4. The asbestos detection method according to claim 1, wherein the protein capable of binding to asbestos is labeled with a fluorescent material.

5. The asbestos detection method according to claim 4, wherein the fluorescent material is Cy3, Cy5, or Fluorescein.

2. An asbestos detection method comprising:

a step of obtaining a fusion protein, wherein the fusion protein comprises (i) a protein, capable of binding to asbestos in a solution containing at least 0.1 M or more sodium chloride, and (ii) a reporter protein;

a step of bringing the obtained fusion protein into contact with asbestos in a sample; and

a step of detecting the fusion protein binding to the asbestos,

wherein the protein, capable of binding to asbestos in a solution containing at least 0.1 M or more sodium chloride, consists of an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs;

1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, and 25.

3. The asbestos detection method according to claim 2, wherein

the reporter protein is a protein selected from the group consisting of:

fluorescent protein, luciferase, alkaline phosphatase, beta galactosidase, diaphorase, and peroxidase.