title: Natural Variability of Allergen Levels in Conventional Soybeans: Assessing Variation across North and South America from Five Production Years.
abstract: Soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) is one of eight major allergenic foods with endogenous proteins identified as allergens. To better understand the natural variability of five soybean allergens (Gly m 4, Gly m 5, Gly m 6, Gly m Bd 28k, and Gly m Bd 30k), validated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were developed. These ELISAs measured allergens in 604 soybean samples collected from locations in North and South America over five growing seasons (2009-2013/2014) and including 37 conventional varieties. Levels of these five allergens varied 5-19-fold. Multivariate statistical analyses and pairwise comparisons show that environmental factors have a larger effect on allergen levels than genetic factors. Therefore, from year to year, consumers are exposed to highly variable levels of allergens in soy-based foods, bringing into question whether quantitative comparison of endogenous allergen levels of new genetically modified soybean adds meaningful information to their overall safety risk assessment.
authors.affiliation: Monsanto Company, 800 North Lindbergh Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63167, United States.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7367-4693
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.affiliation: Monsanto Company, 800 North Lindbergh Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63167, United States.
authors.forename: Duška
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stojšin
authors.affiliation: Monsanto Company, 800 North Lindbergh Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63167, United States.
authors.forename: Kang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Monsanto Company, 800 North Lindbergh Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63167, United States.
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schaalje
authors.affiliation: Monsanto Company, 800 North Lindbergh Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63167, United States.
authors.forename: Cody
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Postin
authors.affiliation: Monsanto Company, 800 North Lindbergh Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63167, United States.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.affiliation: Monsanto Company, 800 North Lindbergh Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63167, United States.
authors.forename: Yongcheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Monsanto Company, 800 North Lindbergh Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63167, United States.
authors.forename: Zi Lucy
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Monsanto Company, 800 North Lindbergh Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63167, United States.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Monsanto Company, 800 North Lindbergh Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63167, United States.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7600-2550
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Glenn
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000032:analysis*; D052179:Antigens, Plant / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005916:Globulins / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D006023:Glycoproteins; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009656:North America; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D055314:Seed Storage Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry; D013020:South America; D030262:Soybean Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D013025:Glycine max / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D005916:Globulins; C530536:Gly m 4 allergen, Glycine max; C103236:Gly m BD 30K protein, Glycine max; C107967:Gly m Bd 28K allergen, Glycine max; D006023:Glycoproteins; D055314:Seed Storage Proteins; D030262:Soybean Proteins; C013894:beta-conglycinin protein, Glycine max; C011474:glycinin
keywords: ELISA; allergenicity; natural variability; safety assessment; soybean