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transgenic glphosate resistance protein predicted to be allergen
The article below found that a glyphosate resistance transgene from rr
ready
crops was a likely allergen. IgE is the family of proteins from the immune
system that activates the allergy response. Further clinical testing is
recommended and the finding certainly refutes the claim the rr ready
crops are
substantially equivalent. Such findings should have triggered a
moratorium on
growth and sale of the rr crops but incompetent bureaucrats are waiting
for a
body count.
Screening of transgenic proteins expressed in transgenic food crops for the
presence of short amino acid sequences identical to potential, IgE –
binding
linear epitopes of allergens
Gijs A Kleter and Ad ACM Peijnenburg
BMC Structural Biology 2002 2:8 (published 12 December 2002)
Abstract
Background
Transgenic proteins expressed by genetically modified food crops are
evaluated
for their potential allergenicity prior to marketing, among others by
identification of short identical amino acid sequences that occur both
in the
transgenic protein and allergenic proteins. A strategy is proposed, in
which
the positive outcomes of the sequence comparison with a minimal length
of six
amino acids are further screened for the presence of potential linear IgE-
epitopes. This double track approach involves the use of literature data
on IgE-
epitopes and an antigenicity prediction algorithm.
Results
Thirty-three transgenic proteins have been screened for identities of at
least
six contiguous amino acids shared with allergenic proteins. Twenty-two
transgenic proteins showed positive results of six- or seven- contiguous
amino
acids length. Only a limited number of identical stretches shared by
transgenic
proteins (papaya ringspot virus coat protein, acetolactate synthase
GH50, and
glyphosate oxidoreductase) and allergenic proteins could be identified
as (part
of) potential linear epitopes.
Conclusion
Many transgenic proteins have identical stretches of six or seven amino
acids
in common with allergenic proteins. Most identical stretches are likely
to be
false positives. As shown in this study, identical stretches can be further
screened for relevance by comparison with linear IgE-binding epitopes
described
in literature. In the absence of literature data on epitopes, antigenicity
prediction by computer aids to select potential antibody binding sites that
will need verification of IgE binding by sera binding tests. Finally, the
positive outcomes of this approach warrant further clinical testing for
potential allergenicity.
.