title: Safety assessment by in vitro digestibility and allergenicity of genetically modified maize with an amaranth 11S globulin.
abstract: Prospective testing for allergenicity of proteins obtained from sources with no prior history of causing allergy has been difficult to perform. Thus, the objective of this work was to assess the food safety of genetically modified maize with an amaranth globulin protein termed amarantin. Transgenic maize lines evaluated showed, in relation to nontransgenic, 4-35% more protein and 0-44% higher contents of specific essential amino acids. Individual sequence analysis with known amino acid sequences, reported as allergens, showed that none of these IgE elicitors were identified in amarantin. Amarantin was digested within the first 15 min by Simulated Gastric Fluid treatment as observed by Western blot. Expressed amarantin did not induce important levels of specific IgE antibodies in BALB/c mice, as analyzed by ELISA. We conclude that the transgenic maize with amarantin is not an important allergenicity inducer, just as nontransgenic maize.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioquímica, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Apdo. Postal 629, 36500 Irapuato, Gto., México.
authors.forename: Sugey R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Sinagawa-García
authors.forename: Quintín
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Rascón-Cruz
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Valdez-Ortiz
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Medina-Godoy
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Escobar-Gutiérrez
authors.forename: Octavio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Paredes-López
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D027721:Amaranthus / Q000737:chemistry*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D004063:Digestion; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000276:immunology*; D017385:Sequence Homology; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D010940:Plant Proteins; D007073:Immunoglobulin E