The potential allergenicity of two 2S albumins from soybean (Glycine max): a protein microarray approach.
BACKGROUND
The 2S albumins are a group of storage proteins that occur widely in seeds of dicotyledonous plants. The widespread distribution and stability to digestion of allergenic 2S albumins raise the question of why some members of this family present in important food sources, such as soybean, are not regarded as major allergens.


METHODS
The pepsinolytic stability of two 2S albumins from soybean seed was determined using simulated gastric fluid. Using a new protein microarray system, IgE binding to these soybean 2S albumins was studied with the sera from 23 European individuals allergic to soybean. In order to validate the microarray result, two of the sera were selected and further tested using the micro-ELISA and UniCAP system.


RESULTS
Both albumins exhibited high stability to digestion similar to other allergenic members of the 2S albumin, trypsin/amylase inhibitor and lipid transfer protein superfamily. None of the patients was found to have IgE specific to soybean 2S albumins by the microarray system, and this result was in agreement with the results from the micro-ELISA and UniCAP system.


CONCLUSIONS
The results from microarray, micro-ELISA and UniCAP system suggested that the 2S albumins from soybean are not major allergens within the patient population analyzed.
Lin
Jing
J
School of Biosciences, Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Nottingham, Loughborough, Leicestershire, UK.
Shewry
Peter R
PR
Archer
David B
DB
Beyer
Kirsten
K
Niggemann
Bodo
B
Haas
Helmut
H
Wilson
Philip
P
Alcocer
Marcos J C
MJ
D000418:Albumins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D052179:Antigens, Plant / Q000276:immunology; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D040081:Protein Array Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D030262:Soybean Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D013025:Glycine max / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*
D000418:Albumins; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D030262:Soybean Proteins; D007073:Immunoglobulin E