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Identification and characterization of a hypoallergenic ortholog of Ara h 2.01

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Abstract

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), can elicit type I allergy becoming the most common cause of fatal food-induced anaphylactic reactions. Strict avoidance is the only effective means of dealing with this allergy. Ara h 2, a peanut seed storage protein, has been identified as the most potent peanut allergen and is recognized by approximately 90% of peanut hypersensitive individuals in the US. Because peanut has limited genetic variation, wild relatives are a good source of genetic diversity. After screening 30 Arachis duranensis accessions by EcoTILLing, we characterized five different missense mutations in ara d 2.01. None of these polymorphisms induced major conformational modifications. Nevertheless, a polymorphism in the immunodominant epitope #7 (S73T) showed a 56–99% reduction in IgE-binding activity and did not affect T cell epitopes, which must be retained for effective immunotherapy. The identification of natural hypoallergenic isoforms positively contributes to future immunological and therapeutic studies and peanut cultivar development.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research, The Georgia Peanut Commission, and the Peanut Foundation. We thank Evelyn Morgan, Anne Bell, Hsiaopo Cheng, Ye Chu, and Paola Faustinelli for technical assistance.

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Author notes

  1. M. Laura Ramos

    Present address: Department of Plant, Soil and Agricultural Systems, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Horticulture, University of Georgia Tifton Campus, Tifton, GA, 31793, USA

    M. Laura Ramos & Peggy Ozias-Akins

  2. National Center for Genome Resources, Santa Fe, NM, 87505, USA

    James J. Huntley

  3. USDA-ARS-SRRC, New Orleans, LA, 70124, USA

    Soheila J. Maleki

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  1. M. Laura Ramos
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  2. James J. Huntley
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  4. Peggy Ozias-Akins
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Correspondence to Peggy Ozias-Akins.

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Ramos, M.L., Huntley, J.J., Maleki, S.J. et al. Identification and characterization of a hypoallergenic ortholog of Ara h 2.01. Plant Mol Biol 69, 325–335 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11103-008-9428-z

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