IMMUNOCHEMICAL STUDIES ON RICE ALLERGENIC PROTEINS

Rabbit polyclonal and mouse monoclonal antibodies raised against the previously isolated allergenic protein (RAP) detected several immunologically crossreactive proteins in the rice soluble protein fraction. Gel electrophoresis-immunoblotting analysis using the monoclonal antibody and isoelectric focusing-immunodiffusion analysis using the rabbit antibodies demonstrated that these proteins had molecular masses of about 14 to 16 kDa and isoelectric points of about 6 to 8. The rice albumin proteins had molecular masses of about 14 to 16kDa and reacted well with the anti-RAP monoclonal antibody. These results suggested that the proteins responsible for rice allergy were major components with microheterogeneity in the rice albumin proteins.