Prediction and characterization of the linear IgE epitopes for the major soybean allergen β-conglycinin using immunoinformatics tools

• Published in: Food and chemical toxicology Vol. 56; pp. 254 - 260
• Main Authors: Sun, Xiulan, Shan, Xiaohong, Yan, Zihe, Zhang, Yinzhi, Guan, Lu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; allergens; Allergens - chemistry; Allergens - immunology; Amino Acid Sequence; Antigens, Plant - chemistry; Antigens, Plant - immunology; beta-conglycinin; Biological and medical sciences; Epitope; epitopes; Epitopes - chemistry; Epitopes - immunology; Female; Globulins - chemistry; Globulins - immunology; Glycine max - chemistry; Glycine max - immunology; Humans; Hypersensitivity - immunology; Immunoblotting; immunoglobulin E; Immunoglobulin E - immunology; Immunoglobulin E - metabolism; Immunoinformatics prediction; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Molecular Sequence Data; peptides; prediction; Protein Structure, Secondary; Reproducibility of Results; Seed Storage Proteins - chemistry; Seed Storage Proteins - immunology; Solid-Phase Synthesis Techniques; Soybean allergen; Soybean Proteins - chemistry; Soybean Proteins - immunology; soybeans; Toxicology; α subunit β-conglycinin; Immunoinformatics prediction; Epitope; α subunit β-conglycinin; Soybean allergen; Antigenic determinant; IgE; Prediction; Soybean; Subunit; Characterization; Predictive factor; Bioinformatics; Allergen
• ISSN: 0278-6915; 1873-6351; 1873-6351
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2013.02.014

► Three immunoinformatics tools were used to predict the potential epitopes. ► Dot-blot inhibition using sera from soybean allergic subjects confirm the epitopes. ► 11/15 of the predicted epitopes can react with 3/5 human sera. ► All the predicted epitopes can react with at least one of the human sera. ► One of epitopes can react with all of human sera. The α subunit of β-conglycinin is a major allergen in soybean. The objective of this study was to predict and identify the linear immunoglobulin (Ig)E epitopes of the soybean α subunit of β-conglycinin. Three immunoinformatics tools were used to predict the potential epitopes and were confirmed by dot-blot inhibition using sera from soybean allergic subjects. As a result, 15 peptides were predicted and assembled by solid-phase synthesis. Eleven epitopes were identified by the dot-blot inhibition test. Moreover, peptide 3 had IgE binding capability with all sera(5/5) tested, while peptide 1, 4, 6, 8 and12 could bind to 4/5 of the sera samples. Secondary structure prediction of peptide 3 and circular dichroism test validated that the structure of peptide 3 was a random coil.