Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 6, 2026
Recognition of Epidermal Transglutaminase by IgA and Tissue Transglutaminase 2 Antibodies in a Rare Case of Rhesus Dermatitis
Published on: December 15, 2011
Visualization of clustered IgE epitopes on alpha-lactalbumin
Heidrun Hochwallner1, Ulrike Schulmeister, Ines Swoboda
1Department of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Background:
alpha-Lactalbumin (alpha-La) is a major cow's milk (CM) allergen responsible for allergic reactions in infants.
Objective:
We performed molecular, structural, and immunologic characterization of alpha-La.
Methods:
Recombinant alpha-lactalbumin (ralpha-La) was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified to homogeneity, and characterized by means of mass spectrometry and circular dichroism, and its allergenic activity was studied by using microarray technology, as well as in a basophil histamine release assay. IgE epitope mapping was performed with synthetic peptides.
Results:
According to circular dichroism analysis, ralpha-La represented a folded protein with a high thermal stability and refolding capacity. ralpha-La reacted with IgE antibodies from 57.6% of patients with CM allergy (n = 66) and induced the strongest basophil degranulation with sera from patients with CM allergy who had exhibited gastrointestinal symptoms or severe systemic reactions on CM exposure. ralpha-La contained sequential and conformational IgE epitopes. Superposition of IgE-reactive peptides onto the 3-dimensional structure of alpha-La revealed a close vicinity of the N- and C-terminal peptides within a surface-exposed patch.
Conclusions:
ralpha-La can be used for the diagnosis of patients with severe allergic reactions to CM and serves as a paradigmatic tool for the development of therapeutic strategies for CM allergy.
More Related Videos
08:07Personalized Peptide Arrays for Detection of HLA Alloantibodies in Organ Transplantation
Published on: September 6, 2017
09:07Single-cell Screening Method for the Selection and Recovery of Antibodies with Desired Specificities from Enriched Human Memory B Cell Populations
Published on: August 22, 2019
Related Concept Videos
01:10Antibody Structure
Antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins (Ig), are essential players of the adaptive immune system. These antigen-binding proteins are produced by B cells and make up 20 percent of the total blood plasma by weight. In mammals, antibodies fall into five different classes, which each elicits a different biological response upon antigen binding.
The Y-Shaped Structure of Antibodies Consists of Four Polypeptide Chains
Antibodies consist of four polypeptide chains: two identical heavy...
01:15Transcytosis of IgG
IgG molecules from a mother undergo transcytosis starting around 13 weeks of gestation. The amount of IgG transferred and entering the fetal blood circulation increases with...