Recombinant proteins in newly developed foods: identification of allergenic activity

A number of agricultural crops are being modified for various purposes using recombinant DNA technology. Since transferred genes may code for proteins that are ordinarily not present, there is concern about the potential allergenicity of these new varieties. The safety evaluation of transgenic foods is relatively easy when the allergenicity of the gene source is known. Recombinant allergens in genetically engineered or altered foods can be identified using traditional immunological assays such as RAST or ELISA inhibition or immunoblotting procedures. Our recent studies of two corn proteins (10 kD and HSZ) used to alter grain amino acid composition and of transgenic soybeans with an altered fatty acid profile are examples of this approach. Both 10 kD and HSZ did not bind IgE antibodies from sera of corn-reactive subjects by immunoblotting. Studies of wild-type and transgenic soybeans with high oleic acidic content by RAST inhibition and immunoblotting with pooled sera of soy-allergic individuals demonstrated no difference in the allergen content of both extracts. In contrast to these studies, a recent investigation by Nordlee et al. (1996) of transgenic soybeans which expressed a methionine/cysteine-rich protein from Brazil nuts identified this protein as a major Brazil nut allergen. These studies indicate that, when the gene source is from a known allergen or if the recipient contains allergens, it is possible to determine whether the allergen content of the transgenic line is altered relative to the nontransgenic varieties.