Synthesis and application of organomercury haptens for enzyme-linked immunoassay of inorganic and organic mercury

Two organomercury haptens were synthesized via the classical oxymercuration reaction. An intramolecular oxymercuration reaction was the strategy employed to prepare a structurally simple, but chemically robust, organomercury hapten that was conjugated to chicken immunoglobulin G (IgG). The resulting immunogen afforded mouse anti-mercury antibodies that were evaluated in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Antibodies demonstrating high titers were obtained, and various immunoassay parameters were investigated. The sensitivity and selectivity of the resulting antibodies were evaluated by exploring different cross-coupling chemistries and solid-phase synthetic variations. A second hapten was prepared with the intermolecular oxymercuration reaction, and the resulting compound, once coupled to carrier protein, afforded a solid-phase conjugate that revealed the versatility of the mouse anti-mercury antibody. The anti-mercury antibody developed in this study was capable of detecting both mercury(II) salts and organomercury compounds.