Reduction of IgE Binding and Nonpromotion of Aspergillus flavus Fungal Growth by Simultaneously Silencing Ara h 2 and Ara h 6 in Peanut

Abstract

The most potent peanut allergens, Ara h 2 and Ara h 6, were silenced in transgenic plants by RNA interference. Three independent transgenic lines were recovered after microprojectile bombardment, of which two contained single, integrated copies of the transgene. The third line contained multiple copies of the transgene. Ara h 2 expression was significantly suppressed in all three lines, whereas Ara h 6 was reduced in two lines. Expression of peanut allergens Ara h 1 and Ara h 3 was not noticeably affected. Significant reduction of human IgE binding to Ara h 2 and Ara h 6 also was observed. Seed weight and germination data from transgenic and nontransgenic segregants showed no significant differences. Data collected from in vitro Aspergillus flavus infection indicate no significant difference in fungal growth between the transgenic lines and the nontransgenic controls. These data suggest that silencing Ara h 2 and Ara h 6 is a feasible approach to produce hypoallergenic peanut.

Allergenicity attributes of different peanut market types

“…Some exotic, naturally occurring, peanut varieties that have clearly different allergenicity attributes have been described in literature (Krause et al, 2010;Ramos et al, 2009;Schmidt et al, 2009), but these peanut types are not commonly consumed in Western countries. Using genetic modification, attempts were made to develop new varieties of peanut that are low in certain allergens (Chandran et al, 2015;Chu et al, 2008;Knoll et al, 2011;Riascos et al, 2010). None of these peanuts are commercially available or used by the food industry in the U.S. or other Western countries.…”

Biotechnology for Enhanced Nutritional Quality in Plants

“…Allergenicity of transgenic seeds was evaluated and found to be reduced compared to wild type. In similar work, Chu et al (2008) suppressed the production of two immunodominant allergens, Ara h 2 and Ara h 6 simultaneously, leading to significant reduction in allergenicity.…”

Recent Advances in Fruit Species Transformation

“…Georgia Green embryogenic cultures were also transformed via microprojectile bombardment and silenced peanut allergens (Ara h 2 and Ara h 6) by RNA interference. Expression of these allergens was not decreased effectively but, binding of IgE to the two allergens, significantly declined (Chu et al, 2008b).…”