title: Confirmation of a predicted lack of IgE binding to Cry3Bb1 from genetically modified (GM) crops.
abstract: Some GM crops including MON863 corn and stack varieties contain Cry3Bb1 protein. Cry3Bb1 is very important from the standpoint of assessing the safety of GM crops. In this study Cry3Bb1 was assessed from the standpoint of possible binding to IgE from allergy patients. First, an ELISA that was improved in our laboratory was used to test serum samples from 13 corn allergy patients in the United States with recombinant Cry3Bb1 expressed in Escherichia coli, and serum samples from 55 patients in Japan with various food allergies were also assayed. Two samples from the Japanese allergy patients were suspected of being positive, but Western blotting analysis with purified Cry3Bb1 indicated that the binding between IgE and Cry3Bb1 was nonspecific. Ultimately, no specific binding between IgE and recombinant Cry3Bb1 was detected. Next, all proteins extracted from MON863 corn and non-GM corn were probed with IgE antibodies in serum samples from the corn allergy patients by Western blotting, but the staining patterns of MON863 and non-GM corn were similar, meaning that unintended allergic reactions to MON863 are unlikely to occur. Our study provides additional information that confirms the predicted lack of IgE binding to Cry3Bb1 in people with existing food allergies.
authors.affiliation: Division of Novel Food and Immunochemistry, National Institute of Health Sciences, 1-18-1 Kamiyoga, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 158-8501, Japan. onakajim@nihs.go.jp
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koyano
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akiyama
authors.forename: Jun-Ichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sawada
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Teshima
mesh_terms: D052179:Antigens, Plant / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000083722:Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000276:immunology*; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D052179:Antigens, Plant; D000083722:Bacillus thuringiensis Toxins; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004731:Endotoxins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; C030956:insecticidal crystal protein, Bacillus Thuringiensis; D007073:Immunoglobulin E