Method for the selective detection of microbial nucleotides
AssigneeMinnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
InventorJohn G. H. M. Vossen
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Abstract
A method for the selective determination of microbial cells, in a sample suspected of containing both microbial and non-microbial cells, is described which involves the selective release and enzymatic inactivation of non-microbial nucleotides, followed by the rapid and specific inhibition of the inactivating enzyme and the release and detection of microbial nucleotides in an appropriate assay, such as a bioluminescent assay.
Claims9
A method for the selective determination of microbial adenosine-triphosphate that is useful for a sample suspected of containing both non-microbial and microbial cells, comprising the steps of:
- (1) selectively releasing non-microbial adenosine triphosphate,
- (2) inactivating substantially all of the released non-microbial adenosinetriphosphate by use of an effective amount of an inactivating enzyme, other than a hydrolase, which can be inhibited by an inhibitor specific for the sulfhydryl groups of enzymes,
- (3) inhibiting substantially all of the inactivating enzyme by use of an effective amount of a specific inhibitor,
- (4) selectively releasing microbial adenosinetriphosphate, and
- (5) detecting a statistically significant amount of the released microbial adenosinetriphosphate by means of an assay.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.