Update of the List of Allergenic Proteins From Milk, Based on Local Amino Acid Sequence Identity with Known Epitopes From Bovine Milk Proteins-a Short Report

The study involved the screening of protein sequence database nrdb 95 for sequences containing fragments identical with experimentally proven sequential epitopes of bovine milk proteins. Such fragments were found in proteins from milk of the buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), yak (Bos grunniens), goat (Capra hircus) and ewe (Ovis aries). Some proteins, such as α-lactalbumins (from the yak, buffalo and goat) and κ-caseins (from the goat and ewe), have not been previously considered as allergens. They were entered into a new database of allergenic proteins from foods and their epitopes, which is part of the BIOPEP database http://www.uwm.edu.pl/biochemia. The proteins containing fragments identical with linear epitopes from known allergens should also be classified as allergens, based on local sequence identity. The absence of common linear epitopes with known allergens cannot be treated as the evidence that a given protein is not allergenic.