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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Crop Improvement and Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #318849
Title: Assessment of the allergenic potential of transgenic wheat (Triticum aestivum) with reduced levels of omega-5 gliadins, the major sensitizing allergen in wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis

Author
item Altenbach, Susan
item Tanaka, Charlene
item PINEAU, FLORENCE - Institut National De La Recherche Agronomique (INRA)
item LUPI, ROBERTA - Institut National De La Recherche Agronomique (INRA)
item DROUET, MARTINE - Hopital Nord
item BEAUDOUIN, ETIENNE - Hôpital Saint-André
item MORISSET, MARTINE - Centre De Recherche Public - Gabriel Lippmann
item DENERY-PAPINI, SANDRA - Institut National De La Recherche Agronomique (INRA)

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/8/2015
Publication Date: 10/8/2015
Citation: Altenbach, S.B., Tanaka, C.K., Pineau, F., Lupi, R., Drouet, M., Beaudouin, E., Morisset, M., Denery-Papini, S. 2015. Assessment of the allergenic potential of transgenic wheat (Triticum aestivum) with reduced levels of omega-5 gliadins, the major sensitizing allergen in wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 63:9323-9332.

Interpretive Summary: Wheat flour contains a complex mixture of proteins, some of which are responsible for human health problems that include food allergies, inhalation allergies, and celiac disease. One of the most severe forms of food allergy, wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (WDEIA), occurs when the ingestion of wheat is followed by physical exercise. A number of studies have shown that a small group of gluten proteins, the omega-5 gliadins, are the major sensitizing allergens in WDEIA. Recently, a biotechnology approach was used to produce transgenic wheat plants in which the omega-5 gliadins were significantly reduced or eliminated in the flour. In the current work, the allergenic potential of flour from two transgenic lines was evaluated by two-dimensional immunoblotting with sera from a collection of 11 patients with confirmed cases of WDEIA. The study revealed the complexity of the immunological responses in this group of patients and suggests that, despite the elimination of a major allergen, flour from the transgenic lines would not be suitable for individuals already diagnosed with WDEIA. However, the introduction of wheat lacking omega-5 gliadins could reduce the number of people that become sensitized to these proteins and thereby decrease the overall incidence of this serious food allergy.

Technical Abstract: The omega-5 gliadins are the major sensitizing allergens in wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (WDEIA). In this study, two-dimensional immunoblot analysis was used to assess the allergenic potential of two transgenic wheat lines in which omega-5 gliadin genes were silenced by RNA interference. Sera from seven of eleven WDEIA patients showed greatly reduced levels of IgE reactivity to omega-5 gliadins in both transgenic lines. However, these sera also showed low levels of reactivity to other gluten proteins. Sera from three patients showed the greatest reactivity to proteins other than omega-5 gliadins, either HMW-GS, alpha gliadins, or non-gluten proteins. The complexity of immunological responses among these patients suggests that flour from the transgenic lines would not be suitable for individuals already diagnosed with WDEIA. However, the introduction of wheat lacking omega-5 gliadins could reduce the numbers of people sensitized to these proteins and thereby decrease the overall incidence of this serious food allergy.