title: Ligand Recognition of the Major Birch Pollen Allergen Bet v 1 is Isoform Dependent.
abstract: Each spring millions of patients suffer from allergies when birch pollen is released into the air. In most cases, the major pollen allergen Bet v 1 is the elicitor of the allergy symptoms. Bet v 1 comes in a variety of isoforms that share virtually identical conformations, but their relative concentrations are plant-specific. Glycosylated flavonoids, such as quercetin-3-O-sophoroside, are the physiological ligands of Bet v 1, and here we found that three isoforms differing in their allergenic potential also show an individual, highly specific binding behaviour for the different ligands. This specificity is driven by the sugar moieties of the ligands rather than the flavonols. While the influence of the ligands on the allergenicity of the Bet v 1 isoforms may be limited, the isoform and ligand mixtures add up to a complex and thus individual fingerprint of the pollen. We suggest that this mixture is not only acting as an effective chemical sunscreen for pollen DNA, but may also play an important role in recognition processes during pollination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biopolymers, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Bavaria, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Seutter von Loetzen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biopolymers, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Bavaria, Germany.
authors.forename: Thessa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.affiliation: Department of Biopolymers, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Bavaria, Germany.
authors.forename: Olivia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hartl-Spiegelhauer
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Hesse, Germany.
authors.forename: Lothar
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vogel
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Hesse, Germany.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schiller
authors.affiliation: Chair of Organic Chemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Bavaria, Germany.
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spörlein-Güttler
authors.affiliation: Chair of Organic Chemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Bavaria, Germany.
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schobert
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, Langen, Hesse, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vieths
authors.affiliation: Department of Biopolymers, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Bavaria, Germany.
authors.forename: Maximilian Johannes
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hartl
authors.affiliation: Department of Biopolymers, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Bavaria, Germany.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rösch
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000378:metabolism*; D052179:Antigens, Plant / Q000378:metabolism*; D029662:Betula / Q000737:chemistry*; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000378:metabolism; D044950:Flavanones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007700:Kinetics; D008024:Ligands; D011058:Pollen / Q000737:chemistry*; D011485:Protein Binding; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000378:metabolism*; D011794:Quercetin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D013473:Sunscreening Agents
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D018744:DNA, Plant; D044950:Flavanones; D008024:Ligands; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D013473:Sunscreening Agents; C061312:Bet v 1 allergen, Betula; C055545:quercetin-3-O-sophoroside; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D011794:Quercetin; C005273:naringenin