title: β-Lactoglobulin Influences Human Immunity and Promotes Cell Proliferation.
abstract: β-Lactoglobulin (LG) is suspected to enhance or modulate human immune responses. Moreover, LG is also hypothesized to increase human cell proliferation. However, these potential functions of LG have not been directly or thoroughly addressed. In this study, we demonstrated that LG is a potent stimulator of cell proliferation using a hybridoma cell (a splenocyte fused with a myeloma cell) model. LG's ability to promote cell proliferation was lost when the protein is denatured. To further investigate the influence of LG's conformation on cell proliferation, we chemically modified LG by either carboxymethylation (CM) or acetylation and observed significantly reduced cell proliferation when the protein structure was altered. Furthermore, we proved that LG enhances cell proliferation via receptor-mediated membrane IgM receptor. These data indicated that nondenatured LG is the major component in milk that modulates cell proliferation. Collectively, our study showed that LG plays a key role in enhancing immune responses by promoting cell proliferation through IgM receptor.
authors.affiliation: Department and College of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan; Institute of Molecular Medicine and Bioengineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chun San
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Tai
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Medicine and Bioengineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi Yun
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department and College of Biological Science and Technology, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen Liang
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4308-3128
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D002417:Cattle; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D006801:Humans; D006825:Hybridomas / Q000378:metabolism; D007109:Immunity / Q000187:drug effects*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000378:metabolism; D007782:Lactoglobulins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011961:Receptors, Fc / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007782:Lactoglobulins; D011961:Receptors, Fc; C035311:immunoglobulin M receptor