Value of eight-amino-acid matches in predicting the allergenicity status of proteins: an empirical bioinformatic investigation.

ABSTRACT: The use of biotechnological techniques to introduce novel proteins into food crops (transgenic or GM crops) has motivated investigation into the properties of proteins that favor their potential to elicit allergic reactions. As part of the allergenicity assessment, bioinformatic approaches are used to compare the amino-acid sequence of candidate proteins with sequences in a database of known allergens to predict potential cross reactivity between novel food proteins and proteins to which people have become sensitized. Two criteria commonly used for these queries are searches over 80-amino-acid stretches for >35% identity, and searches for 8-amino-acid contiguous matches. We investigated the added value provided by the 8-amino-acid criterion over that provided by the >35%-identity-over-80-a

SUBMITTER: Herman RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2773230 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature