Wong Ho Wan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 140-153). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Thesis Committee --- p.I / Statement --- p.II / Acknowledgements --- p.III / Abstract --- p.IV / 摘要 --- p.VI / List of Tables --- p.VIII / List of Figures --- p.IX / List of Abbreviations --- p.XI / Table of Contents --- p.XIII / Chapter 1 --- General introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 2 --- Literature reviews --- p.4 / Chapter 2.1 --- LRP and winged bean --- p.4 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Nutritional values of crop plants --- p.4 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Lysine-rich protein (LRP) --- p.7 / Chapter 2.1.2.1 --- Identification of lysine-rich protein (LRP) --- p.7 / Chapter 2.1.2.2 --- Cloning cDNA for WBLRP --- p.7 / Chapter 2.1.2.3 --- Transgenic Expression of LRP in other plants --- p.8 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Unknowns remained --- p.8 / Chapter 2.2 --- Food allergy and gastro-immunity --- p.10 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- What is allergy? 一 A brief introduction --- p.10 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Food allergy and its symptoms --- p.12 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Gastrointestinal immunity --- p.13 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Possible mechanism of food allergy --- p.16 / Chapter 2.2.5 --- Available tests and limitations --- p.18 / Chapter 2.2.6 --- Radioallergosorbent test (RAST) --- p.19 / Chapter 2.2.7 --- Digestibility test --- p.20 / Chapter 2.2.8 --- Betv-1 Allergen Family --- p.21 / Proteins --- p.23 / Chapter 2.3 --- Pathogenesis-related proteins --- p.23 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Defense-related proteins and pathogenesis-related proteins (PRs) --- p.23 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Class 10 PR proteins (PR-10s) --- p.25 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- The expression patterns of PR-10s --- p.27 / Chapter 2.3.3.1 --- Pathogens-induced and signal-induced expression --- p.27 / Chapter 2.3.3.2 --- Spatially- and developmentally-regulated expression --- p.28 / Chapter 2.3.3.3 --- Other induction patterns --- p.29 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- Functions ofPR-10s --- p.30 / Chapter 2.4 --- Development of hypotheses and experiments --- p.32 / Chapter 3 --- Materials and methods --- p.36 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.36 / Chapter 3.2 --- Materials --- p.38 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Chemicals --- p.38 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Apparatus and commercial kits --- p.39 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Vectors and bacterial strains --- p.39 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- Plant and animal materials --- p.40 / Chapter 3.2.5 --- Computer software --- p.40 / Chapter 3.3 --- Purification of LRP --- p.41 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Purification of LRP from winged bean --- p.41 / Chapter 3.3.1.1 --- Extraction of total protein --- p.41 / Chapter 3.3.1.2 --- Differential pI precipitation --- p.41 / Chapter 3.3.1.3 --- Determination of the pI point of LRP --- p.42 / Chapter 3.3.1.4 --- Native tricine-PAGE and gel elution --- p.42 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Purification from E. coli --- p.45 / Chapter 3.3.2.1 --- Construction of pET vector expressing recombinant LRP (rLRP) --- p.45 / Chapter 3.3.2.2 --- Expression of rLRP --- p.50 / Chapter 3.3.2.3 --- Purification by gel electrophoresis and gel band elution --- p.50 / Chapter 3.4 --- Anti-serum production --- p.52 / Chapter 3.5 --- Allergy tests --- p.53 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Pepsin digestion --- p.53 / Chapter 3.5.1.1 --- Determination of optimal concentration of pepsin --- p.53 / Chapter 3.5.1.2 --- Pepsin digestion of allergenic and non-allergenic model proteins --- p.55 / Chapter 3.5.1.3 --- Pepsin digestion of LRP and immunodetection --- p.55 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Trypsin digestion --- p.56 / Chapter 3.5.2.1 --- Determination of optimal trypsin concentration --- p.56 / Chapter 3.5.2.2 --- Trypsin digestion of allergenic and non-allergenic model proteins --- p.57 / Chapter 3.5.2.3 --- Trypsin digestion of LRP and immuno-detection --- p.57 / Chapter 3.5.3 --- Pepsin and trypsin digestion --- p.58 / Chapter 3.5.3.1 --- Digestions of allergenic model proteins --- p.58 / Chapter 3.5.3.2 --- Digestion of LRP --- p.58 / Chapter 3.5.4 --- IgE binding tests --- p.58 / Chapter 3.6 --- Physiology studies --- p.59 / Chapter 3.6.1 --- Preparation for the studies --- p.59 / Chapter 3.6.1.1 --- Growing winged bean in the field --- p.59 / Chapter 3.6.1.2 --- Growing winged bean in sterile conditions --- p.60 / Chapter 3.6.1.3 --- Production ofLRP-cDNA probe --- p.60 / Chapter 3.6.2 --- Detecting the expression of LRP in winged bean --- p.61 / Chapter 3.6.2.1 --- RNA extraction --- p.61 / Chapter 3.6.2.2 --- RT-PCR and DNA sequencing --- p.62 / Chapter 3.6.2.3 --- RNA electrophoresis and northern blot analysis --- p.63 / Chapter 3.6.2.4 --- Protein extraction --- p.63 / Chapter 3.6.2.5 --- Western blot and immuno-detection --- p.63 / Chapter 3.6.3 --- Expression of LRP in germinating winged bean seeds --- p.64 / Chapter 3.6.3.1 --- Seed germination --- p.64 / Chapter 3.6.3.2 --- Detection of LRP in germinating seeds --- p.64 / Chapter 3.6.4 --- RNase activity test --- p.65 / Chapter 4 --- Results --- p.67 / Chapter 4.1 --- Purification of LRP --- p.67 / Chapter 4.1.1 --- Purification from winged bean --- p.67 / Chapter 4.1.1.1 --- Identification of pI point of LRP --- p.67 / Chapter 4.1.1.2 --- Native tricine PAGE and gel elution --- p.70 / Chapter 4.1.2 --- Purification from E. coli --- p.71 / Chapter 4.1.2.1 --- Construction of pET-LRP vector --- p.71 / Chapter 4.1.2.2 --- Expression of rLRP and gel purification --- p.74 / Chapter 4.2 --- Antiserum production --- p.76 / Chapter 4.3 --- Allergy tests --- p.81 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Pepsin digestion --- p.81 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Trypsin digestion --- p.89 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Pepsin and trypsin digestion --- p.96 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- Human serum IgE binding test --- p.104 / Chapter 4.4 --- Physiological studies --- p.105 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- Samples preparation --- p.105 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- RT-PCR and DNA sequencing --- p.105 / Chapter 4.4.3 --- Expression profile of WBLRP in winged bean somatic organs --- p.108 / Chapter 4.4.4 --- Expression profile ofWBLRP in winged bean flower --- p.111 / Chapter 4.4.5 --- Expression profile ofWBLRP in winged bean maturing seeds --- p.114 / Chapter 4.4.6 --- Expression profile of WBLRP gene in winged bean germinating seeds --- p.117 / Chapter 4.4.7 --- Functional assay of LRP --- p.121 / Chapter 5 --- Discussion --- p.124 / Chapter 5.1 --- LRP purification and antibody production --- p.124 / Chapter 5.2 --- Allergy tests --- p.125 / Chapter 5.3 --- Expression of LRP in WB --- p.131 / Chapter 5.4 --- Functional assay of LRP --- p.134 / Chapter 5.5 --- Hypothesis Testing --- p.135 / Chapter 5.6 --- Future prospective， --- p.136 / Chapter 6 --- Conclusion --- p.138 / Chapter 7 --- References --- p.140