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8/13/2019 Biosafety Issues
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Biosafety Issuesof
Genetically Modified Food
Dr. Debasis Pattanayak
Principal Scientist
National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology
New Delhi
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Risk
Assessment
*science-based
Risk
Management
*policy-based
Risk
Communication
*interactive
exchange
Risk analysis is composedof three distinct activities
Risk assessment
Risk communication Risk management
Although there is inevitableoverlap, these activities are
separate
Risk analysis
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Risk
Management
*policy-based
RiskCommunication
*interactive
exchange
Risk
Assessment
*science-based
A scientific processused toidentify hazards, the likelihood ofoccurrence, and the impacts onhuman and animal health and onthe environment
Identification of possible riskmitigation measures
Evidence-based and scientificallydefensible
Requires diversecollection ofexpertiseand a significantknowledge base
Harmonizedwith internationally
acceptable approaches
Risk assessment
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Science-based
Realm of Bio-Politics
Risk = Exposure X Hazard
Hypothetical risk:the hazard has
not occurred BUT there is a scientific
basis to support its existence
Probabilistic risk:the hazard exists
AND has occurred at least once
Speculative risk:the hazard has not
occurred AND there is NO scientific
line of reasoning to suggest it will
Types of risks
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Risk
Assessment
*science-based
Risk
Communication
*interactive
exchange
Risk
Management
*policy-based
Decision-making
Implementation of riskmitigationmeasures
Balancebetween safetyand non-safety
considerations (e.g.,socio-economic, cultural,and political)
Consideration of benefits
as well as risks
Risk management
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Risk
Assessment
*science-based
Risk
Management
*policy-based
Risk
Communication
*interactiveexchange
A (non-technical) dialogue about
risks, real and perceived
Goal is to reduce the discrepancy
between real risks and perceived
risks
Effective risk communicators are
trusted and credible
Risk communication fails when
there is an information vacuum
between scientific assessment of
risk and the publics perception of
risk
Risk communication
How to balance public good vs. theindividual rights of developers,
farmers, producers, andconsumers?
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Historically, our beliefs about the safetyof foods havebeen based almost entirely on tradition and culturalexperience
In practice, very few of the foods we eat today have beensubject to any toxicological studies and yet they aregenerally accepted as safe
Even foods that contain toxins or anti-nutrients orallergens have been considered safe through a long
history of use Consider potatoes, tomatoes, peanuts, eggs, milk
products, wheat products, strawberries and otherfruits, fish, shellfish, etc
Traditional views of food safety
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It is impossible to prove that something is safe
The best that can be demonstrated is the absence of
evidence of the production of harm
Present and future safety can only be judged on the
basis of past experience, an absence of evidence of
harm is the only evidence we can ever expect for the
absence of harm
Can safety be proven ?
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At the heart of the risk assessment process is the
principle that GM foods CANbe compared with traditional
counterparts that have an established history of safe use
This comparison can be based on an examination of thesame types of risk factors for both (e.g.toxins, potential
allergens, key nutrients, anti-nutrients).
This comparative approach, whereby the food being
assessed is compared with one that has an acceptedlevel of safety, is often expressed in the concept of
Substantial Equivalence.
The comparative approach
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Genetic modification does not result in food which is inherently less
safe than that produced by conventional means
Risk associated characteristics assessed for GM food are equivalent
to the same characteristics for conventional counterpart
Variance of these characteristics must fall within the natural range
demonstrated for conventional counterpart
Substantially equivalent does not mean that two products are
identical, but that one can be substituted for the other without
adversely affecting the health and/or nutritional status of the
consumer
Substantial equivalence should be considered as the starting point
only, useful for identifying the defined differences
Key points
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Direct consequences
Nutritional, toxic, orallergenic effectsdue to the novelgene products
Purposefully alteredlevels of existinggene products (e.g.use of anti-sensestrategies todecrease
expression levels ofspecific proteinsFlavr Savr tomato)
Indirect consequences
Effects of new gene products, oraltered levels of existing geneproducts, on plant metabolism
Unanticipated effects of geneticmanipulation such as:
gene silencing,
interruption of codingsequences, or
altered regulation of genes, or
effects related to somaclonalvariation arising from tissueculture regeneration of plants
Statistically significant differences should be
assessed for their biological significance
The safety assessment process
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Availability of data on compositional properties
Availability of data on natural variations Availability of analytical methodsparticularly for
detecting unintended effects (e.g.- Low glutelin
transgenic rice and Golden rice)
Limitations ..
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While each product is evaluated on a case-by-case basis, generally the evaluation focuseson these key areas: Host and Donor Organisms
Provide knowledge on natural range and variation of key
components, potential toxicity and allergenicity of donor geneproducts
Molecular Characterization Description of the donor and host organisms, modification
process, genetic stability, expressed proteins
Nutritional and Compositional Analysis Altered levels of naturally occurring toxins, nutrients, and anti-
nutrients
Toxicology Potentialtoxicity of novel protein
Allergenic Potential Possibility that introduced protein(s) will result in allergic reaction
Food safety assessment:
What do evaluators typically look at?
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Knowledge on Host and Donor Organisms
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Host = organism that was transformed
Context wherein introduced trait is expressed
Cognizance of normal range in variation of hosts
traits under different growing environments,
seasons, developmental phases, geneticbackgrounds, etc.
- Green potatoes: high concentrations of the glycoalkaloids solanine
- Tomatoes: high concentrations of glycoalkaloids -tomatine, which
decline dramatically with ripening
Knowledge of the host organism
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Knowledge of the properties of the final edible product is
important in establishing appropriate comparator(s)
Refined, bleached oil, which is free of DNA and protein,
is the only product of oilseed rape (canola) consumed
by humansfrom a risk assessment perspective, howrelevant is it to consider levels of expression of
introduced proteins?
Cyanogenic glycosides in cassava can release high
concentrations of HCN. They must be removed byleaching and/or cooking in order to prevent toxicity
Knowledge on food processing
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Usefulness of substantial equivalence for assessing risks
depends on a thorough knowledge of the host organism
and the counterpart foods that are used as the basis for
comparisonwith the GM food
Natural range and variation of key:
Nutrients
Vitamins, cofactors, essential amino acids
Toxicants Glycoalkaloids, glucosinolates, cucurbiticin
Anti-nutrients
Soybean trypsin inhibitor
Allergens
Knowledge of the host organism
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Provides important information on the
potential for toxicity, pathogenicity, or
allergenicity
Introduced proteins from known sources of
allergens must be considered potential
allergens until proven otherwise
2S storage protein from Brazil nut that was
introduced into soybeanwas suspected to be
a potential allergen at the development phase
and this was confirmed in subsequent testing
Knowledge of the donor organism
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Required information
Taxonomic classification, common name,
scientific name
Information on known pathogenicity,
toxicity, alergenicity Previous use/presence of organism (or
specific products) in food or feed
(contaminant, infectious agent, aditive,
etc.)
Gene(s) donated
Knowledge of the donor organism
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Gene / Sequence Mode of Action / Toxicity / Allergenicitycry1AB (Bacillus
thuringiensis subsp.
kurstaki)native gene
(3468 nucleotides, 1156
amino acids)
Affects the larvae of susceptible insect species by
binding to specific receptors on the plasma
membrane of mid-gut epithelial cells, resulting in
the formation of pores and ion equilibration. The
gut becomes immobilized, the larva stops feeding,
gut pH drops, and bacteria invade causing lethal
septicemia.
While target insects are susceptible, there is no
evidence of toxic effects on non-target beneficial
insects, mammals, fish, or birds given the
equivalent of 10 g/g (body wt) of Bt protein.
Enhanced, duplicated
CaMV 35S promoter,
hsp70intron, NOS 3
terminator
Regulatory sequences, no expression products.
None of these sequence are known to have any
pathogenic or harmful effects.
Knowledge of the donor gene
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Gene / Sequence Mode of Action / Toxicity / AllergenicityEPSPS (Zea mays)native
gene
The native maize EPSPS encoding gene was cloned,
modified by site-directed mutagenesis, and reintroduced
into embryogenic maize cells by microparticle
bombardment (biolistic transformation).
The amino acid sequence of the modified EPSPS proteindiffers from the wild-type sequence by two amino acids
(99.3% sequence identity).
No reports of allergenicity, pathogenicity, or acute toxicity
for EPSPS proteins.
Rice actin I promoter andintron sequences; Rubisco
derived chloroplast transit
peptide sequences (maize
and sunflower); nos3
polyadenylation signal fromA.
tumefaciens
Promoter and terminator sequences do not encode proteinexpression products. Chloroplast transit peptide sequence
is plant derived and not known to have any pathogenic or
harmful effects.
Knowledge of the donor gene
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Molecular Characterization
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It is very important that a rigorous molecular
characterization of each transgenic plant
submitted for review be completed, it is equally
important to recognize the limitations of thisapproach in predicting the safety of a novel food.
The molecular characterization of transgenic
plants often receives a disproportionate amount
of attention from regulators relative to the
information it imparts in terms of food, feed or
environmental safety.
Significance of molecular characterization
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Maybe able to address issues related to
positional effects, pleiotropic effects, and gene
silencing
Provides information on the composition and
integrity of the inserted DNA
Ensures that the developer has appropriately
characterized the genetic modification
Utility of molecular characterization
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In the absence of other empirical data (phenotypic
characteristics) the molecular characterization is unlikely
to predict unforeseen effects on the concentrations of key
nutrients, anti-nutrients, or endogenous toxins
There is, for example, no correlation between copy
number of the inserted DNA and safety
B. napusevents 23-198, 23-18: developed by inserting
a thioesterase gene from Lauris nobilis(California bay
tree) in order to increase levels of lauric acid.
The original transformant was estimated to contain 15
copies of the inserted gene
Limitations
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1. The transformation system Agrobacterium-mediated
Protoplast system
Microparticle bombardment
2. Molecular characterization of the inserted DNA
Insert number
Insert composition
3. Genetic stability of the introduced trait
Segregation analysis
Integron stability
Three aspects to consider
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Common soil bacterium responsible for causing crowngall disease in susceptible plants
Incorporation of a region of transfer DNA (T-DNA) from alarge (150-250 kb) circular Ti (tumour inducing) plasmid
Replace the phytohormone biosynthetic genes within theT-DNA with genes of interest
A. tumefaciensnaturally infects only dicots but methodshave been developed for monocots such as rice, banana,maize, wheat, and sugarcane
Ag robacter ium tumefaciens
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A. tumefacienstransformation is generally characterized
by:
Low transgene copy number
Minimal rearrangements
Higher transformation efficiency than direct DNA
delivery techniques such as microparticle
bombardment
Ag robacter ium tumefaciens
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Up until 1995, it was generally assumed that only
sequences between the left and right borders of the T-
DNA were incorporated into the host genome, but this is
not always the case
Inserted sequences may be coupled with the right or left
border sequences, or as an independent unit unlinked
from the T-DNA
Ag robacter ium tumefaciens
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Differential expression of transgenes has been attributed
to:
copy number - the number of transgene copies
integrated into the host genome
positional effects - the position of the T-DNA
integration site in the host genome may affect the level
of expression
variable arrangements of transgene sequences in the
host genome e.g.multiple copies in direct or inverted
repeats
Ag robacter ium tumefaciens
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The food safety dossier should include:
A summary table of all the genetic elements within theplasmid including coding and non-coding regions.
For each element include:
Citations where sequence was described, isolatedand characterized
Portion and size of the insert
Location, order and orientation of the vector
Function in the host plant The donor organism
Information for the risk assessor
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A detailed map of the plasmid with the
location of the sequences described in the
summary table should be provided for use
in the analysis of data supporting the
characterization of the host plant.
The map should include relevant restriction
enzyme sites, locations of primers used forPCR, and any regions used as probes.
Information on the plasmid map
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Refers to the number of sites where the transgenic
element is incorporated into the host genome.
This is deduced by digesting genomic DNA with a
restriction enzyme that does not cut within the transgenicelement followed by Southern blot analysis with a probe
specific to one or more of the introduced genes.
More than one band = more than one insertion site.
This should be repeated with at least one other restriction
enzyme to confirm the number of inserts.
The inserted DNA: insert number
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Gene A Gene B
BamHI
Inserted Element
Genomic DNABamHI digest
32P-labelled cDNA probe
Southern
blot
Should yield a
single band if
one insert
The inserted DNA: insert number
3.5 kb
109 135 136 146 147 150 151 152 154 155 156 157 NT PC
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This is not the same as the number of insertion sites
Digestion with one or more (i.e. can be single or doubledigests) restriction enzymes that either do not cut withinthe transgenic element, or cut only once but not within the
sequence complementary to the hybridization probe This should yield one band per inserted element.
Usually this is done with more than one restrictionenzyme, or combination of enzymes.
Transgene copy number
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Gene A Gene B
EcoRI
Inserted Element
32P-labelled cDNA probe
Genomic
DNA
EcoRI digest Southern
blotA
A
B
B
XhoI
XhoI digest Southern
blot
A singleband from
each
digestion
indicates a
single copy
Transgene copy number
G I t it
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The goal is to determine if the gene(s) of interest are intact, or
whether there have been truncations/deletions
Digest genomic DNA with restriction enzymes to isolate the
gene of interest
Hybridize with a gene-specific probe. Resolved band should be the same size as that isolated from
the plasmid.
Alternatively, PCR with 5- and 3-terminal specific primers in
order to amplify a fragment of the same size as the insertedgene
Gene Integrity
G ti t bilit
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For each novel trait, the pattern and stability of inheritance
must be demonstrated as well as the level of expression of the
trait.
Serological techniques are generally used to measure trait
expression either qualitatively [e.g., Western immunoblotting,enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), etc.] or
quantitatively (e.g., ELISA, radioimmunoassay, etc.).
If the new trait is one that does not result in the expression of a
new or modified protein (e.g., transgenic plants containing
inserted antisense sequences) then its inheritance will have tobe determined by examining the DNA insert directly or by
measuring RNA transcript production.
Genetic stability
P tt f i
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How, when, and where
Based on the promoter used (constitutive, tissue-specific,
inducible, etc), is the novel protein expressed in the
expected tissues and under the expected conditions?
Presence or absence and amounts of expressed protein
should be determined for a range of plant tissues (e.g.
roots, leaves, seeds, pollen)
And, from a food safety perspective, levels of expression
of the protein(s) in the edible portionsof the plant arecritical
Patterns of expression
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Nutritional assessment
Ai f t iti l t
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For GM plants that were not developed to have
intentionally altered nutritional value, the aim of
the nutritional evaluation is to investigate
whether there have been unintentional changesin levels of key nutrients, toxicants, allergens and
anti-nutrients
Aim of nutritional assessment
Bi il bilit
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In addition, in foods modified to increase nutrient
levels, bioavailability needs to be substantiated
Both in vitroand in vivostudies may be used for
the purpose
Bioavailability
U i t d d ff t
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Can arise in several ways:
Insertional inactivationdisruption or alteration of the
expression of a normal gene
Alteration of metabolite poolsexpression of the new
gene could alter the availability of amino acids, or
divert substrates from other metabolic pathways
The expressed protein, or altered levels of other
proteins, could have anti-nutritional effects
None of these possibilities are unique to transgenic
plants, they can also occur with traditional breeding, and
in fact may be less frequent in transgenic plants because
only a few genes are transferred during the genetic
modification
Unintended effects
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Single compound analysis reveals secondary changesonly by chance or if anticipated
e.g., looking for changes in levels of glycoalkaloids
Profiling methods allow for the simultaneous screening ofmany compounds without prior identification
Protein profiles2D gel electrophoresis
Chemical fingerprintschromatography/NMR/MS
mRNA profiles to look for altered gene expressionDNA microarray technology, has been used to
examine green vs. ripe tomatoes
Detecting unintended effects
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None of the profiling methods is sufficiently welladvanced to be used on a routine basis for identifyingunintended consequences of genetic modification
Much to be done on standardization and validation ofmeasurements, sample collection
In many cases the natural range of variation due toabiotic factors, plant growth stage, disease status, etc
may overwhelm any differences due to geneticmodification
Bioinformatics challenge to handle the very large datasets generated, particularly from microarray testing
Limitation of profiling
Traditional compositional analysis
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Protein
Fat
Fibre
Starch Amino acid composition
Fatty acid composition
Ash
Sugars
Calcium
Phosphorus
Traditional compositional analysis
Context of nutrient changes
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Changes in the nutrient levels become
significant when they differ markedly from
literature values and also:
The relative contribution of the nutrient to thetotal intake (including other sources) is high
The range of consumption of the grain or
food/feed in the specific population is high The food is intended for specific groups such
as pregnant/lactating women, children and the
elderly.
Context of nutrient changes
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Assessment for Toxicity
Focus on the defined difference
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The principal focus of toxicity evaluation is/are the protein
expression product(s) of the inserted gene(s)
The inserted DNA, in itself, does not pose a food safety
concern
Normal dietary intakes of DNA/RNA vary widely but
are generally in the range of 0.11.0 g/day
Any concerns over the presence of novel DNA in the
diet must consider that this DNA would represent
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Introduced genes are often derived from microorganisms that do not
have a history of significant consumption by humans
Bt proteins (Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, Cry3A) from Bacillus
thuringiensis
PAT enzyme from Streptomyces viridochromogenes, S.hygroscopicus
EPSPS fromA. tumefaciens
However, in some cases the protein products of introduced genes
have been consumed in significant amounts
Viral coat proteins from transgenic potatoes, papaya and squash
Isolated plant genes that have been modified by in vitrosite-
directed mutagenesis and re-inserted (e.g.mEPSPS in GA21
maize)
Reason for concern
Weight of evidence approach in evaluating potential
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Gene source
Associated with known toxins?
Relationship with substances having a known history of safeconsumption/exposure
If Yes, then acute toxicity testing or additional testing not
necessary Amino acid sequence comparison
Any relationship with known protein toxinssimilar parametersas for homology searches of allergen databases
In vitrodigestibility models
Stability to pepsin digestionif yes, then possible toxin Heat stability
Stability to heat inactivationif yes, then possible toxin
Weight of evidence approach in evaluating potential
toxicity of transgenic protein
Assessment strategy
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Fully characterizing a novel (transgenic) proteinrequires examining:
Physiochemical properties
Digestive fate Biologic and/or enzymatic activity
Animal feeding trials (acute oral toxicity)
Allergenicity testing
Assessment strategy
Protein toxins
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Generally, novel proteins, like other dietary proteins, havea predictable metabolic fate upon ingestionthey are
broken down to their constitutive amino acids under
digestive conditions
Proteins that behave this way, or are inactivated by heat
(as in processing) are unlikely to exert adverse affects
Protein toxins (and allergens) tend to be resistant todigestionthis is a necessary but not a sufficient
condition, as in the absence of other toxicological
evidence there is no consensus on resistant proteins
being a higher risk
Protein toxins
In v i t ro studies
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Digestibility assaysincubating purified protein with
simulated gastric and intestinal fluids and determining the
extent of degradation over time
This can be followed either by SDS-PAGE or by
measuring biological and/or enzymatic activity ofsamples following incubation with simulated digestive
fluids
Heat inactivation assays
Amino acid sequence comparisons
Lack of homology with known toxins can be used as
additional evidence for low potential for toxicity
In v i t rostudies
Unintended effects
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A related issue is the possibility of unintentionally
modifying metabolic pathways as a consequence
of gene insertion, thus affecting concentrations of
endogenous toxicants
Since the toxic potential of endogenous toxins is
already known, toxicological assessment is not
required but determination of their levels is
necessary as part of the compositional/nutritional
analysis
Unintended effects
A i l t di
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Commonly used for the safety assessment of many
compounds, including pesticides, pharmaceuticals,
industrial chemicals and food additives
Works well for substances of known purity, no
nutritional value, low potential for human exposuretherefore easy to test at high multiples of anticipated
exposure and determine no observed effect levels
(NOELs)and thus establish safe upper limits (e.g.
acceptable daily intakes)
Problematic with whole foods but can be used to
investigate acute oral toxicity of purified proteins
Animal studies
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Assessment for Allergenicity
Adverse reactions to food
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Adverse reactions to food
Non toxic
Immune mediated
(food allergy)
Non immune mediated
(food intolerance)
Enzymatic
Pharmacological
UndefinedIgE Non IgE
Toxic
Adverse reactions to food
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Adverse reactions to an otherwise harmless food or food component
that involve an abnormal response of the bodys immune system
IgE-mediated responses, immediate hypersensitivity responses
usually within minutes or a few hours after ingestion
Non IgE-mediated immune reactions (IgG, IgA) or cell-mediated
immunity (celiac disease, cows milk, egg, soy sensitivity) in the
latter case, symptoms usually occur >8 hrs after ingestion
Food allergies
IgE-mediated
Anaphylactic shock, gastro-intestinal disorders, urticaria(hives), diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain
Cell-mediated reactions
Small intestine inflammation, malabsorption, diarrhea, bonepain
Most common food allergens
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More than 170 foods cause food allergies
Eight foods are responsible for >= 90% of all allergic
reactions
Cows milk
Eggs
Fish
Crustaceans
Peanuts Soybeans
Tree nuts
Wheat
Most common food allergens
Properties of allergens
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Virtually all allergens are proteins BUT not allproteins are food allergens
Foods contain tens of thousands of proteins -
very few are allergens Most allergens are stable to digestion and
processing
Major allergens tend to be abundant proteins
Many, but not all food allergens have beencloned and characterized (The Codex AlimentariusCommission)
Properties of allergens
Analysis for allergenicity
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Source of protein Allergic sourcesreasonable evidence of IgE mediated oral,
respiratory, or contact allergy
Amino acid sequence homology
>=35% identity in window of 80 amino acids
Contiguous epitope size should be scientifically justifiable Pepsin resistance
Strongly recommended, although other digestive models could beused with justification
Specific serum screening
If allergic source or sequence homology with allergens If protein from allergenic source, negative result here may still
require additional studiesskin prick test, etc
Absolute exposure to the novel protein and the effects of relevantfood processing will contribute to the overall conclusion aboutpotential allergenicity.
Analysis for allergenicity
Pepsin digestibility model
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Protein
Stability (minutes)
Whole Protein FragmentsEgg Allergens
ovalbumin 60 -
ovomucoid 8 -
conalbumin 0 15
Soybean Allergensbeta-conglycinin (beta subunit) 60 -
beta-conglycinin (alpha subunit) 2 60
soy lectin 15 -
Gly m1 0.5 8
Mustard Allergens
Sin a1 60 -
Peanut Allergens
Ara h2 60 -
peanut lectin 8 -
Pepsin digestibility model
Pepsin digestibility model
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Protein
Stability (minutes)
Whole Protein Fragments
Common Plant Proteins
glycoate reductase (spinach) 0.25 (15 sec) -
Rubisco LSU (spinach leaf) 0 (< 15 sec) -
PEP carboxylase 0 (< 15 sec) -
lipoxygenase (soybean seed) 0 (< 15 sec) -
acid phosphatase (potato) 0 (< 15 sec) -
phosphofructose kinase (potato) 0 (< 15 sec) -
Transgenic Proteins
Cry1A 0.5 (30 sec) -
Cry2 0 (< 15 sec) -
Cry3 0 (< 15 sec) -
CP4 EPSPS 0 (< 15 sec) -
mEPSPS 0 (< 15 sec) -
GOX 0 (< 15 sec) -
Pepsin digestibility model
Assessment strategy
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Source of the introduced protein
Amino acid sequence homology
Pepsin resistance
Specific serum screening
Absolute exposure
Totality of assessments (weight of evidence) provides
reasonable assurance that foods will not be renderednewly allergenic
Assessment strategy
Brazil nut allergen in soybean
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2S methionine-rich albumin was
transferred from the Brazil nut to soybean
as a means of enhancing poultry feed
2S albumin is a major Brazil nut allergen
Because allergic response was an
anticipated possibility, transgenic soybean
extracts were tested on patients allergic toBrazil nuts using skin-prick assays during
the development phase of the project
Brazil nut allergen in soybean
Skin prick testing Brazil Nut
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Skin prick testing Brazil Nut
Conclusions on allergenicity test
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GM foods that are to be commercialized should beassessed for allergenicity except where there is a history
of safe consumption e.g., viral coat proteins
Considering the source, amino acid sequence homology,
and pepsin digestibility are the basic tools Serum screening (specific and/or targeted) may not be
warranted in most casesstill may need human studies
(skin prick test)
Further studies are needed to determine thresholds, ifany, for sensitization
In the future, animal models could be a valuable tool for
predicting allergenicity, but currently they are inadequate
g y