title: Allergens of the cupin superfamily.
abstract: The cupin family comprises a family of proteins possessing a common beta-barrel structure that is thought to have originated in a prokaryotic ancestor. This structural motif is found as a single domain in fungal spherulins, fern sporulins and the germins/oxalate oxidase proteins of plants, while the globular storage proteins of plants, called legumins (11 S) and euvicilins (7 S), are two-domain cupins. The 11 S globulins are hexameric heteroligomeric proteins of M (r) approximately 360000, with each subunit comprising an acidic 30000-40000- M (r) polypeptide that is disulphide-linked to a 20000- M (r) basic polypeptide. A number of cupins have been identified as major plant food allergens, including the 7 S globulins of soybean (beta-conglycinin), peanut (conarachin; Ara h 1), walnut (Jug r 2) and lentil, and the 11 S globulins of peanut (arachin; Ara h 3), soybean (glycinin) and possibly also coconut and walnut. Other members of the cupin superfamily have not been identified as allergens, with the exception of one germin (germination-specific protein) from pepper. Cupins are generally very stable proteins. A summary of our current knowledge of allergenic seed storage globulins will be presented, together with an overview of cupin structure and stability properties, as illustrated by the allergenic soya globulins, glycinin and beta-conglycinin.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Colney, UK. clare.mills@bbsrc.ac.uk
authors.forename: E N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Marigheto
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Belton
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Gunning
authors.forename: V J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Morris
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000737:chemistry*; D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D005916:Globulins / Q000737:chemistry; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D055314:Seed Storage Proteins; D030262:Soybean Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D005916:Globulins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D055314:Seed Storage Proteins; D030262:Soybean Proteins; C013894:beta-conglycinin protein, Glycine max; C011474:glycinin