A flow-cytometry-based method for detecting simultaneously five allergens in a complex food matrix.

To avoid carry-over contamination with allergens, food manufacturers implement quality control strategies relying primarily on detection of allergenic proteins by ELISA. Although sensitive and specific, this method allowed detection of only one allergen per analysis and effective control policies were thus based on multiplying the number of tests done in order to cover the whole range of allergens. We present in this work an immunoassay for the simultaneous detection of milk, egg, peanut, mustard and crustaceans in cookies samples. The method was based on a combination of flow cytometry with competitive ELISA where microbeads were used as sorbent surface. The test was able to detect the presence of the five allergens with median inhibitory concentrations (IC50) ranging from 2.5 to 15 mg/kg according to the allergen to be detected. The lowest concentrations of contaminants inducing a significant difference of signal between non-contaminated controls and test samples were 2 mg/kg of peanut, 5 mg/kg of crustaceans, 5 mg/kg of milk, 5 mg/kg of mustard and 10 mg/kg of egg. Assay sensitivity was influenced by the concentration of primary antibodies added to the sample extract for the competition and by the concentration of allergenic proteins bound to the surface of the microbeads.

Differential protein expression profiles in anterior gills of Eriocheir sinensis during acclimation to cadmium.

Using a proteomic approach, we characterized different protein expression profiles in anterior gills of the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis, after cadmium (Cd) exposure. Two experimental conditions were tested: (i) an acute exposure (i.e. 500 microg Cd l(-1) for 3 days) for which physiological, biochemical and ultrastructural damage have been observed previously; (ii) a chronic exposure (i.e. 50 microg Cd l(-1) for 30 days) resulting in physiological acclimation, i.e. increased resistance to a subsequent acute exposure. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) revealed six protein spots differentially expressed after acute, and 31 after chronic Cd exposure. From these spots, 15 protein species were identified using MS/MS micro-sequencing and MS BLAST database searches. Alpha tubulin, glutathione S-transferase and crustacean calcium-binding protein 23 were down-regulated after an acute exposure, whereas another glutathione S-transferase isoform was up-regulated. Furthermore, analyses revealed the over-expression of protein disulfide isomerase, thioredoxin peroxidase, glutathione S-transferase, a proteasome subunit and cathepsin D after chronic exposure. Under the same condition, ATP synthase beta, alpha tubulin, arginine kinase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase were down-regulated. These results demonstrate that acute and chronic exposure to waterborne Cd induced different responses at the protein expression level. Protein identification supports the idea that Cd mainly exerts its toxicity through oxidative stress induction and sulfhydryl-group binding. As a result, analyses showed the up-regulation of several antioxidant enzymes and chaperonins during acclimation process. The gill proteolytic capacity seems also to be increased. On the other hand, the clearly decreased abundance of several enzymes involved in energy transfer suggests that chronic metal exposure induced an important metabolic reshuffling.

Up-regulation of 94-kDa glucose-regulated protein by hypoxia-inducible factor-1 in human endothelial cells in response to hypoxia.

Hypoxic environment in solid tumor is known to favor cell survival and to initiate the formation of new capillaries. In this work, we identified by 2D gel analysis 94-kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP94) as being upregulated in human endothelial cells in response to hypoxia. Three putative hypoxia responsive elements (HRE) were found in the GRP94 promoter. Competition experiments of HIF-1 DNA binding using specific probes containing each HRE sequence of the GRP94 promoter clearly evidenced that HIF-1 binds these sequences with high affinity. The human GRP94 promoter was then cloned upstream of the luciferase gene and showed enhanced activity in hypoxic conditions. Mutation of two of the three HREs present in this promoter completely inhibited the hypoxia-induced increase in luciferase activity.

A multi-laboratory evaluation of a clinically-validated incurred quality control material for analysis of allergens in food.

A dessert matrix previously used for diagnosis of food allergies was incurred with pasteurised egg white or skimmed milk powder at 3, 6, 15 and 30 mg allergen protein per kg of dessert matrix and evaluated as a quality control material for allergen analysis in a multi-laboratory trial. Analysis was performed by immunoassay using five kits each for egg and milk (based on casein) and six 'other' milk kits (five based on ß-lactoglobulin and one total milk). All kits detected allergen protein at the 3 mg kg(-1) level. Based on ISO criteria only one egg kit accurately determined egg protein at 3 mg kg(-1) (p=0.62) and one milk (casein) kit accurately determined milk at 6 (p=0.54) and 15 mg kg(-1) (p=0.83), against the target value. The milk "other" kits performed least well of all the kits assessed, giving the least precise analyses. The incurred dessert material had the characteristics required for a quality control material for allergen analysis.

Regulation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha protein level during hypoxic conditions by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt/glycogen synthase kinase 3beta pathway in HepG2 cells.

Hypoxia initiates an intracellular signaling pathway leading to the activation of the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1). HIF-1 activity is regulated through different mechanisms involving stabilization of HIF-1alpha, phosphorylations, modifications of redox conditions, and interactions with coactivators. However, it appears that some of these steps can be cell type-specific. Among them, the involvement of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway in the regulation of HIF-1 by hypoxia remains controversial. Here, we investigated the activation state of PI3K/Akt/glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK3beta) in HepG2 cells. Increasing incubation times in hypoxia dramatically decreased both the phosphorylation of Akt and the inhibiting phosphorylation of GSK3beta. The PI3K/Akt pathway was necessary for HIF-1alpha stabilization early during hypoxia. Indeed, its inhibition was sufficient to decrease HIF-1alpha protein level after 5-h incubation in hypoxia. However, longer exposure (16 h) in hypoxia resulted in a decreased HIF-1alpha protein level compared with early exposure (5 h). At that time, Akt was no longer present or active, which resulted in a decrease in the inhibiting phosphorylation of GSK3beta on Ser-9 and hence in an increased GSK3beta activity. GSK3 inhibition reverted the effect of prolonged hypoxia on HIF-1alpha protein level; more stabilized HIF-1alpha was observed as well as increased HIF-1 transcriptional activity. Thus, a prolonged hypoxia activates GSK3beta, which results in decreased HIF-1alpha accumulation. In conclusion, hypoxia induced a biphasic effect on HIF-1alpha stabilization with accumulation in early hypoxia, which depends on an active PI3K/Akt pathway and an inactive GSK3beta, whereas prolonged hypoxia results in the inactivation of Akt and activation of GSK3beta, which then down-regulates the HIF-1 activity through down-regulation of HIF-1alpha accumulation.