• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.503-510
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• 2010

Most allergens have protease activities, suggesting that proteases may be a key link between Th2-type immune reactions in allergic responses. Protease activated receptor (PAR) 2 is activated via the proteolytic cleavage of its N-terminal domain by proteinases. To know the role of PAR2 in Aspergillus protease allergen activated Th2 immune responses in airway epithelial cells, we investigated and compared immune cell recruitment and level of chemokines and cytokines between PAR2 knock out (KO) mice and wild type (WT) mice. There were evident immune cell infiltrations into the bronchial alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of WT mice, but the infiltrations in PAR2 KO mice were significantly lowered than those of WT mice. The IL-25, TSLP, and eotaxin gene expressions were profoundly increased after Aspergillus protease, but their expression was significantly lowered in PAR2 KO mice in this study. Compared to PAR2 KO mice, OVA specific IgE concentrations in serum of WT mice were quite increased; moreover, the IgE level of PAR2 KO mice was lower than in WT mice. The IL-25 expression by Aspergillus protease stimulation was significantly reduced by p38 specific inhibitor treatment. In this study, we determined that Th2 response was initiated with IL-25 and TSLP mRNA up-regulation in lung epithelial cells via PAR2 after Aspergillus protease allergen treatment.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.532-538
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• 1994

In order to investigate the lowering effects of in vitro enzymatic hydrolysis by the treatment of chymotrypsin, trypsin, pancreatin, or protease from Aspergillus oryzae on the antigenicity of whey protein(WPI) against rabbit anti ${\beta}-LG$ antiserum, competitive inhibition ELISA(cELISA) and passive cutaneous anaphylaxis(PCA) test using guinea pig were performed. The results of cELISA showed that the monovalent antigenicity of the whey protein hydrolysates(WPH) to the antiserum was decreased to $10^{-1.7}{\sim}10^{-4.1}$ and less by the hydrolysis. Especially, the antigenicity of OUP(hydrolysate by protease from Asp. oryzae with preteatment of pepsin) was found almost to be removed. By the heterologous PCA the polyvalent antigenicity of the WPH was decreased to $1/2{\sim}1/128$ and less. Especially, the polyvalent antigenicity of OUN(hydrolysate by protease from Asp. oryzae without preteatments) was found almost to be removed, although OUN did not have so high degree of hydrolysis(DH) or so low monovalent antigenicity (reduced to $10^{-3.2}$). Therefore, this result was assumed to come from effective destruction of antigenic determinants on ${\beta}-LG$ in WPI, not to produce polyvalent antigenic peptides that are closely associated with induction of allergy. This finding suggested that WPH prepared by the treatment of microorganic protease from Asp. oryzae would be a material for hypoallergenic infant formula due to the removal of the polyvalent antigenicity of ${\beta}-LG$, the major milk allergen in WPI.