ovalbumin (324-338) [Gallus gallus]/[Coturnix coturnix]

Ovalbumin (abbreviated OVA) is the main protein found in egg white, making up 60-65% of the total protein⁽¹⁾.Ovalbumin is an important protein in several different areas of research, including:general studies of protein structure and properties (because it is available in large quantities). studies of serpin structure and function (the fact that ovalbumin does not inhibit proteases means that by comparing its structure with that of inhibitory serpins, the structural characteristics required for inhibition can be determined). proteomics (chicken egg ovalbumin is commonly used as a molecular weight marker for calibrating electrophoresis gels). immunology (commonly used to stimulate an allergic reaction in test subjects, e.g. established model allergen for airway hyper-responsiveness, AHR)⁽²⁾.

Figure1  Formula of ovalbumin (324-338)

Figure2  structure of ovalbumin

Ref:

1. Sano Kunio; Kanna Haneda; Gen Tamura; Kunio Shirato (1999). "Ovalbumin (OVA) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis Bacilli Cooperatively Polarize Anti-OVA T-helper (Th) Cells toward a Th1-Dominant Phenotype and Ameliorate Murine Tracheal Eosinophilia". Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol. 20 (6): 1260–1267. http://ajrcmb.atsjournals.org/content/20/6/1260.abstract. Retrieved 28 December 2011.

2. Hu H.Y., Du H.N. (2000). "Alpha to Beta Structural Transformation of Ovalbumin: Heat and pH Effects". Journal of Protein Chemistry 19 (3): 177–183.