Antibodies raised against immunogenic conjugates of gram-negative bacterial autoinducer molecules

A diagnostic kit comprising an antibody which specifically binds an autoinducer of a Gram negative bacterium of a compound of Formula (I):

• where X is O, S, N—(C1-C6) alkyl, NR2, N-phenyl;
• Y is C1-C6 straight or branched alkyl, C1-C6 straight or branched alkenyl, C1-C6 straight or branched alkynyl;
• Z is C═O, C═S, CHOH, C═N—NR1, C═N—OH, C1-C8 straight or branched alkyl, C1-C8 straight or branched alkenyl, C1-C8 straight or branched alkynyl;
• L is C1-C18 straight or branched alkyl, C1-C18 straight or branched alkenyl, C1-C18 straight branched alkynyl, or —CO2H, —CO2R1, —CHO, —C≡N, —N═C═O, —N═C═S, OH, OR1, —CH═CH—CH2Br, —CH═CH—CH2Cl, —SAc or SH, where R1 is C1-C6 straight or branched alkyl, m is 0 or 1;
• z is 0 or 1;
• R2 is H, C1-C6 straight or branched alkyl, C1-C6 straight or branched alkenyl or C1-C6 straight or branched alkynyl, or CO2H;
• and Q is CH or N;
• and n is 0-3 with the proviso that when n is 0, X is N—(C1-C6 alkyl) or N-phenyl.