A novel highly sensitive non-radioactive DNA labeling and detection system based on the ELISA principle has been developed. DNA is modified with the cardenolide-hapten digoxigenin by enzymatic incorporation of digoxigenin-labeled deoxyuridine-triphosphate with Klenow enzyme. Digoxigenin is linked to dUTP via an 11-atom linear spacer (Dig-[ll]-dUTP). Following hybridization of membrane-bound target-DN A with a digoxigenin-labeled probe, the hybrids are detected by an ELISA reaction using digoxigenin-specific antibodies covalently coupled to the marker enzyme alkaline phosphatase [(Dig):CLAP].This binding of antibody: marker enzyme-conjugate is followed by an enzyme-catalysed coupled redox reaction with the colour substrates 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl phosphate (BCIP) and nitroblue tetrazolium salt (NBT) giving rise to a deepblue coloured, water-insoluble precipitate directly adhering to the membrane.The digoxigenin system allows the detection of 0.1 pg homologous DNA within 16 h in dot-and Southernblots on nitrocellulose or nylon membranes avoiding any significant background even after a prolonged period of color development. Due to its high sensitivity and specificity, the new system is appropriate for detection of single-copy genes in genomic blots as well as for Northern, slot, colony, plaque and in situ hybridizations. intestine alkaline phosphatase; Dig, digoxigenin; Dig-[ll]-dUTP, digoxigenin-(9-succinyl-e-aminocaproyl[5-(3-aminoallyl)-2'-deoxyuridine-5'-triphosphate], Na4 (see Fig. 2); (Dig), digoxigenin-specific sheep polyclonal antibody (Fab-fragments); EDTA, ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid, disodium salt; ELISA, enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay; ß-Gal, ß-galactosidase from E. coli; Klenow enzyme, large fragment of E. coli DNA polymerase I; NBT, nitroblue tetrazolium salt (2,2'-di-p-nitrophenyl-5,5'-diphenyI-3,3'-dimethoxy-4,4'-diphenylene]ditetrazolium chloride); POD, peroxidase from horse-radish; SDS, sodium dodecyl sulphate (lauryl sulphate, sodium salt); SSC, standard saline citrate (0.15M NaCl, 0.015M Na citrate, pH 7.0);Tris, tris[hydroxymethyl]aminomethane. Zusammenfassung: Ein neues hochsensitives, nichtradioaktives DNA Markierungs-und Detektionssystem, das auf dem ELISA-Prinzip basiert, wurde entwickelt. DNA wird mit dem Cardenolid-Hapten Digoxigenin über enzymatischen Einbau von Digoxigenin-markierten Desoxyuridintriphosphaten mit Hilfe von Klenow-Enzym modifiziert. Digoxigenin ist mit dUTP über einen 11 Atome langen linearen Spacer verbunden (Dig-[ll]-dUTP). Im Anschluß an die Hybridisierung zwischen Membran-gebundener nachzuweisender DNA und einer Digoxigenin-markierten Sonde werden die Hybride über eine ELISA-Reaktion mit Hilfe von solchen Digoxigenin-spezifischen Antikörpern nachgewiesen, an die das Markierungsenzym Alkalische Phosphatase kovalent gebunden ist [