β-Lactoglobulin

Uses

β-Lactoglobulin was used in a cytologic assay for diagnosis of food hypersensitivity in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

Uses

β-Lactoglobulin from bovine milk was used to test the allergen-responsive CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells in children who have outgrown cow′s milk allergy. It is also used to test the competitive displacement of β-lactoglobulin by Tween 20 from oil-water and air-water interfaces.

General Description

Milk from dairy cows contains the protein β-lactoglobulin (BLG). It naturally occurs in a number of genetic variants, and the most prevalent bovine variants are BLG A and BLG B.

Biochem/physiol Actions

A member of the lipocalin family, βLg is a small protein of 162 amino acids with a molecular mass of ～18,400 Da. It features an eight-stranded β-barrel (strands A-H) succeeded by a three-turn a-helix and a final β-strand (strand I) that forms part of the dimerization interface.