The allergenic relevance of profilin (Ole e 2) from Olea europaea pollen

Abstract

Many works have dealt with the study of the allergenic relevance of profilin from allergenic extracts, mainly derived from pollens and vegetable foods. Olive pollen extracts also contain a profilin allergen (Ole e 2). This protein has been characterized in detail, so the amino-acid sequence of three isoforms and the structural model of one of them are already known. The prevalence of Ole e 2 for olive allergenic patients has been evaluated by different in vivo and in vitro methods, and the results compared with those obtained for another pollen profilins.

Olive pollen profilin (Ole e 2 allergen) co‐localizes with highly active areas of the actin cytoskeleton and is released to the culture medium during in vitro pollen germination

“…The olive pollen profilin (Ole e 2 allergen) has been characterized, sequenced and expressed in Escherichia coli , showing an 86% and a 73% homology to birch and grass profilins, respectively (Ledesma et al ., 1998; Martínez et al ., 2002). The protein displays three major isoforms in olive pollen, with molecular weights in the range of 15–18 kDa and a high degree of polymorphism in both its nucleotide and amino acid sequences.…”

The clinical relevance of birch pollen profilin cross-reactivity in sensitized patients

“…There is a long running debate on sensitization to birch pollen profilin possibly underlying ARC symptoms and the source of profilin sensitization (15). Our data show that only a small proportion of birch pollen reactive patients is sensitized to Bet v 2 only and that most of them are also sensitized to grass pollen major allergens Phl p 1/5 and grass pollen profilin Phl p 12, implying grass pollen to be the most important source of profilin sensitization and suggesting Bet v 2 reactivity in most cases to reflect cross-reactivity (15)(16)(17). Indeed, IgE-based cross-and self-inhibition tests in Bet v 2and Phl p 12-sensitized patients showed full cross-reactivity and gave no evidence regarding the primary sensitizing pollen profilin allergen.…”

“…Thus, the diagnosis of birch pollen allergy must always be based on a thorough diagnostic workup. Table 2 Clinical symptoms as reported by Bet v 1-unsensitized but Bet v 2-sensitized (12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17) in comparison with Bet v 1-and Bet v 2-sensitized patients (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)…”

Detection and Quantitation of Olive Pollen Allergen Isoforms Using 2-D Western Blotting

“…They have been designed as panallergens since they are responsible for many IgE cross-reactions between unrelated pollen and plant food allergenic sources (Valenta et al 1992 &Santos andVan Ree 2011). Ole 2 has a clinical prevalence of 24% in the allergic population (Asturias et al 1997, Ledesma et al 1998a, Martínez et al 2002& Quiralte et al 2007). Four Ole e 2 isoforms of 17.8, 17.0, 16.0, and 15.2 kDa were firstly determined (Asturias et al 1997).…”