Affiliations: Plant Biotechnology Unit, Institute of Applied
Microbiology, Department of Biotechnology, BOKU, Vienna, Austria
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Margit Laimer, Plant Biotechnology
Unit, IAM, Department of Biotechnology, BOKU, Nussdorfer Lände 11, 1190
Vienna, Austria. Tel.: +43 1 36006 6560; Fax: +43 1 369 76 15; E-mail:
margit.laimer@boku.ac.at
Abstract: Cross-reactive proteins in small fruits of the Rosaceae family
like strawberry, raspberry and blackberry revealed an unexpected complex
IgE-reactivity pattern. Several copies of PR-10 and PR-14 proteins were
detected by Southern blots in strawberry, raspberry and blackberry. In
raspberry, the highest similarity at the DNA level for PR-10 and PR-14 (Rub i 1
and Rub i 3) was detected to strawberry sequences of Fra a 1 and Fra a 3. At
the protein level, Rub i 1 and Rub i 3 showed more than 70% identity with
homologous proteins of rosaceous fruits. Furthermore, raspberries contained
additional putative allergens, e.g. class III acidic chitinases and
cyclophilins. Blackberries were shown to share at least two well-known major
fruit allergens with other rosaceous fruits, namely PR-10s and PR-14s
homologous proteins. However the IgE-reactive proteins of small fruits are
still not extensively investigated. The main challenges in studying small fruit
allergens are the complexity of the fruit matrix, the diversity of
physico-chemical properties of fruit proteins, the lack of appropriate protein
extraction procedures and the missing information about the influence of
processing treatments on food components.
Keywords: Rosaceous fruits, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, IgE-reactivity, Fra a 1, Fra a 3, Rub i 1, Rub i 3, class III acidic chitinase, cyclophilin, profilin
Journal: BioFactors, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 37-46, 2008
