Abstract
The potential of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to increase allergenicity or predispositions to allergies has attracted much attention. An approach that will properly and holistically evaluate the allergenicity of GMOs is yet to be found. Here, 85 transgenes that have been reported in both international and domestic studies during recent years are summarized case by case; 49 of the transformed genes were from plant sources and 36 were from animal sources. EVALLER™, a web server for the in silico assessment of potential protein allergenicity, was used to evaluate the potential of the transgenic proteins as allergens. The biomedical journals listed in Highwire (http://highwire.stanford.edu/) were searched and reviewed to decipher whether any of the transformed genes were linked to allergenicity or human health. The EVALLER analysis identified 5 allergenic genes, whilst our literature review found 11 genes that were either related to allergic cases or to clinical adverse events; all 16 of these genes have been used in GMOs. The analysis pathway that we have developed can help guide the selection of genes to be used in genetic modification. The pathway also provides a paradigm for allergenicity analysis of transgene candidates.
Highlights
The potential of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to increase allergenicity or predispositions to allergies has attracted much attention
85 transgenes that have been reported in both international and domestic studies during recent years are summarized case by case; 49 of the transformed genes were from plant sources and 36 were from animal sources
The EVALLER analysis identified 5 allergenic genes, whilst our literature review found 11 genes that were either related to allergic cases or to clinical adverse events; all 16 of these genes have been used in GMOs
Summary
The potential of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to increase allergenicity or predispositions to allergies has attracted much attention. The potential for increased allergenicity or predisposition to allergies caused by GMOs harboring novel proteins (as in the transgenic plants and animals that could become the mainstay of food sources for human), has attracted much attention from governments and communities worldwide. We included a total of 85 transformed genes, 49 from plant sources and 36 from animal sources, in the study These genes were retrieved from a bioinformatics databank, their protein coding regions were identified and the deduced amino acid sequences were evaluated for potential allergenicity. Literature on these 85 transformed genes was searched and reviewed to decipher whether or not they had been linked to allergenicity or human health. The information obtained could be used to guide the selection of genes to be used in genetic modification, as well to provide a paradigm for the allergenicity analysis of transgenes
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