Structural and Functional Characterization of the Hazelnut Allergen Cor a 8

Lesa Offermann, Merima Bublin, Makenzie Perdue, Sabine Pfeifer, Pawel Dubiela, Tomasz Borowski, Maksymilian Chruszcz, Karin Hoffmann-Sommergruber*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal article (peer-reviewed)Journal article

36 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Nonspecific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs) are basic proteins, stabilized by four disulfide bonds, and are expressed throughout the plant kingdom. These proteins are also known as important allergens in fruits and tree nuts. In this study, the nsLTP from hazelnuts, Cor a 8, was purified and its crystal structure determined. The protein is stable at low pH and refolds after thermal denaturation. Molecular dynamics simulations were used to provide an insight into conformational changes of Cor a 8 upon ligand binding. When known epitope areas from Pru p 3 were compared to those of Cor a 8, differences were obvious, which may contribute to limited cross-reactivity between peach and hazelnut allergens. Differences in epitope regions may contribute to limited cross-reactivity between Cor a 8 and nsLTPs from other plant sources. The structure of Cor a 8 represents the first resolved structure of a hazelnut allergen.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)9150-9158
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Volume63
Issue number41
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2015
Externally publishedYes

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