Cry1Ab protein from Bacillus thuringiensis and MON810 cry1Ab–transgenic maize exerts no adjuvant effect after airway exposure
Date
2015Author
Andreassen, M.
Van den Berg, J.
Bohn, T.
Wikmark, O.-G.
Løvik, M.
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The genetically modified (GM) maize event MON810 has been inserted with a
processed version of the transgene, cry1Ab, derived from the soil bacterium
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to express proteins with insecticidal properties. Such
proteins may introduce new allergens and also act as adjuvants that promote
allergic responses. While focus has been on safe consumption and hence the oral
exposure to GM food and feed, little is known regarding inhalation of pollen and
desiccated airborne plant material from GM crops. The aim of this study was to
investigate whether plant material from the Cry1Ab-expressing maize variety
MON810, or trypsin-activated Cry1Ab (trypCry1Ab) protein produced in
recombinant bacteria, may act as adjuvants against the allergen ovalbumin
(OVA) in a mouse model of airway allergy. A clear proallergic adjuvant effect of
the mucosal adjuvant cholera toxin (CT) was demonstrated, determined as
increased specific IgE, eosinophils and Th2 cytokines in MLN cell supernates,
while no elevation in OVA-specific antibodies or cytokine release from MLN
cells after stimulation with OVA were observed in mice receiving Cry1Abcontaining
plant materials or the trypCry1Ab protein. Our data suggest that
Cry1Ab proteins had no detectable systemic adjuvant effect in mice after airway
exposure. Further experiments with purified plant proteins, as well as long-term
exposures needs be conducted to further evaluate exposures experienced in real life
situations
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10394/18613https://doi.org/10.1111/sji.12269
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/sji.12269/full