title: The major birch pollen allergen, Bet v 1, shows ribonuclease activity.
abstract: The major birch (Betula alba L.) pollen allergen, Bet v 1, has been shown to be homologous to pathogenesis-related proteins in a number of plants. Recently, it was demonstrated that a ginseng protein with high homology to an intracellular pathogenesis-related protein of parsley and to Bet v 1 is a ribonuclease (RNase). Birch pollen extract was separated in an RNase activity gel. Four major RNase bands were excised from the gel, reseparated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and identified by Western blotting with a specific Bet v 1 monoclonal antibody and patient's serum. Thus the monomer and the dimer of Bet v 1 showed RNase activity. Purified recombinant Bet v 1 was shown to degrade plant RNA. The RNase activity of recombinant Bet v 1 was 180 units.mg-1.
authors.affiliation: Research Center Borstel, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bufe
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Spangfort
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kahlert
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schlaak
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Becker
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D011058:Pollen / Q000378:metabolism*; D012260:Ribonucleases / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014197:Trees
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D010940:Plant Proteins; C061312:Bet v 1 allergen, Betula; D012260:Ribonucleases