Overexpression of BiP in tobacco alleviates endoplasmic reticulum stress

To study the role of the lumenal binding protein (BiP) in the transport and secretion of proteins, we have produced plants with altered BiP levels. Transgenic plants overexpressing BiP showed dramatically increased BiP mRNA levels but only a modest increase in BiP protein levels. The presence of degradation products in BiP overproducers suggests...

Anion channels in Chara corallina tonoplast membrane: Calcium dependence and rectification

Tonoplast K+ channels of Chara corallina are well characterized but only a few reports mention anion channels, which are likely to play an important role in the tonoplast action potential and osmoregulation of this plant. For experiments internodal cells were isolated. Cytoplasmic droplets were formed in an iso-osmotic bath solution according to...

Comparison of different immunochemical methods for the detection and quantification of hazelnut proteins in food products

Hazelnuts are widely used in the food industry owing to their nutritive value and taste. The amount of hazelnut present in a recipe is usually considered as a mark of quality. On the other hand, contamination of foods that normally do not contain hazelnuts is a threat for patients with a hazelnut allergy. For this reason, the availability of a...

Isolation and characterization of patatin isoforms

Patatin has, so far, been considered a homogeneous group of proteins. A comparison of the isoforms in terms of structural properties or stability has not been reported. A method to obtain various isoform fractions as well as a comparison of the physicochemical properties of these pools is presented. Patatin could be separated in four isoform...

Heat-induced conformational changes of Ara h 1, a major peanut allergen, do not affect its allergenic properties

Ara h 1, a major peanut allergen was isolated, and its structure on secondary, tertiary, and quaternary level at ambient temperature was investigated using spectroscopic and biochemical techniques. Ara h 1 appeared to be a highly structured protein on a secondary level, possesses a clear tertiary fold, and is present as a trimeric complex. Heat...

Heat-induced conformational changes of patatin, the major potato tuber protein

This paper presents a first structural characterization of isolated patatin, the major potato tuber protein, at ambient and elevated temperatures. Isolated patatin at room temperature is a highly structured molecule at both secondary and tertiary levels. It is estimated from far-ultraviolet circular dichroism data that about 33% of the residues...

Identification and partial characterization of multiple major allergens in peanut proteins

Background: Peanuts are a major cause of food allergies both in children as in adults which can induce an anaphylactic shock. The identification and characterization of peanut allergens could lead to more insight into the mechanism and contribute to the improvement of diagnostic tests and treatment for peanut allergy. Objectives: In the present...

Glucoamylase gene fusions alleviate limitations for protein production in Aspergillus awamori at the transcriptional ans (post)translational levels

In this study we have analyzed the effects of a glucoamylase gene fusion on the mRNA levels and protein levels for the human interleukin-6 gene (hil6) and the guar α-galactosidase gene (aglA). Previously it was shown that production of nonfused α-galactosidase and hIL-6 in Aspergillus awamori was limited at transcriptional and (post...

Food allergen (peanut)-specific TH2 clones generated from the peripheral blood of a patient with peanut allergy

Background: Increasing evidence indicates a prominent role of allergen-specific TH2 cells, with high IL-4 and IL-5 production and low interferon-γ production, in the regulation of IgE and eosinophil production in allergic disorders. However, most studies have concentrated on T cells reactive with inhalation allergens, whereas little is known...

The effect of intracellular pH on the regulation of the Rab 16A and the alpha-amylase 1/6-4 promoter by abscisic acid and gibberellia

Characterization of the import process of a transit peptide into chloroplasts

In order to get insight into the functioning of transit sequences in chloroplast protein transport, the import of the full-length transit peptide of ferredoxin (trfd) was investigated. trfd rapidly associated with chloroplasts under import conditions and becomes protected against externally added proteases. Import of radiolabeled trfd is...

The promoter of the rice gene GOS2 is active in various different monocot tissues and binds rice nuclear factor ASF-1

A single copy gene has been isolated, termed GOS2, from rice. Sequence comparison revealed highly similar genes in mammals and yeast, indicating that GOS2 encodes an evolutionary conserved protein. GOS2 mRNA was detected in all tissues examined. When the upstream region was translationally fused to the reporter gene gusA it was found to drive...