Objective: To express phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT) with biological activity and prepare monoclonal antibodies against PAT.
Methods: The full length bar gene was cloned by PCR and inserted into prokaryotic expression vector pET28a⁺. The recombinant plasmid pET28-bar was transformed into E.coli BL21(DE3), and under the induction of IPTG, PAT was expressed. The expressed protein was purified by Ni⁺; affinity chromatography to analyze its activity. The purified PAT was used to immunize BALB/c mice, and then the spleen cells from the immunized mice were fused with Sp2/0 cells. The hybridoma clones secreting antibodies against PAT were isolated by indirect ELISA and then subcloned.
Results: Soluble PAT was expressed in E.coli. The purified PAT had the activity of acetyltransferase. We totally prepared 9 hybridoma cell lines which secreted specific anti-PAT monoclonal antibodies.
Conclusion: The expressed recombinant PAT can be used for biological reagent to prevent and relieve herbicide damage. Monoclonal antibodies against PAT may be used to detect the transgenic products.