Sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) vitellogenin. II-Validation of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

In this study, a competitive ELISA was developed for the quantification of vitellogenin (VTG) in sea bass. The purity of the antigen (VTG) and the specificity of the antibody (AbVTG) used in the assay, were assessed by ELISA and radial immunodiffusion, and no crossreactivity was observed with the male plasma. The sensitivity range of the ELISA was 1-60 ng/ml (85-20% of binding). The intra- and inter-assay variations (at 50% of binding) were 5.3% (N = 5) and 9.8% (N = 9), respectively. Annual VTG levels were quantified in animals reared under fish farming conditions and the VTG levels were correlated with the oocyte development. © 1994.