Affiliations: Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate
School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo,
Japan | Department of Nutritional Science, Tokyo University of
Agriculture, Japan
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Laboratory of Nutritional
Biochemistry, Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of
Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Yayoi 1-1-1,
Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan. Tel.: +81 3 5841 5114; Fax: +81 3 5841 5114;
E-mail: akatoq@mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Abstract: Dietary proteins and amino acids serve not only as a building block
for body components but also as regulators of a variety of body functions. A
great many of the functions of ingested proteins, their peptide fragments, and
amino acids have been characterized and some have been brought to practical
application. Using a GeneChip DNA microarray system, we first compared the gene
expression profiles among rats fed on 12% casein, 12% gluten, and
protein-free diets for one week. The results revealed that a few hundred genes
in the liver and muscle were up- or down-regulated by more than two-fold after
feeding of the gluten or the protein-free diet. Interesting findings included
the induction of genes for synthesis and catabolism of cholesterol by gluten
feeding. In addition, we performed a study to examine the effect of the
consumption of an enzymatically produced, hypoallergenic wheat flour on gene
expression profiles in rats. The results confirmed the safety of this novel
food product.
Keywords: dietary protein, nutrigenomics, DNA microarray, functional food
Journal: BioFactors, vol. 21, no. 1-4, pp. 11-13, 2004
