The invention describes the patterns of deamidation in gluten, and it is
found that this is highly dependent on the spacing between the glutamine
and proline residues. This knowledge can be used to predict novel T cell
stimulatory gluten peptides. Several newly defined peptides and epitopes
are provided. Also, the finding can explain the formation of neo-epitopes
in autoimmune diseases such as RA (rheumatoid arthritis), MS (multiple
sclerosis), SLE (systemic lupus erythomatosus), SS (Sjogren syndrome) and
DB (diabetes). Several neo-epitopes and the peptides that are substrate
for deamidation are provided. Further, the inventions provides for
methods for detecting these peptides and epitopes and methods for making
food more suitable for celiac disease patients.