THE MAIN ALLERGEN OF OLEA-EUROPAEA (OLE-E-I) IS ALSO PRESENT IN OTHERSPECIES OF THE OLEACEAE FAMILY

Three major pollen allergens from Fraxinus excelsior, Ligustrum vulgar e and Syringa vulgaris belonging to the Oleaceae family were purified. Monoclonal antibodies previously raised against the main allergen of Olea europaea (Ole e I) were used for their purification by affinity c hromatography. The three new purified allergens were able to bind huma n IgE from serum of olive-allergic patients in a way analogous to Ole e I. Crossed radioimmunoelectrophoresis of the four allergens, using a nti-olive extract rabbit serum, showed a unique immunoprecipitation ar c with the same characteristics. The four purified proteins had simila r molecular weights on SDS-PAGE and the N-terminal sequences for the f irst 20 amino acids were identical. Furthermore, the concentration of the allergens could be determined using a two-site solid phase assay p reviously developed for the allergen Ole e I. Our results indicate tha t the four purified proteins share, to a great extent, antigenic and a llergenic epitopes leading to cross-reactivities which could cause com mon clinical manifestations. We propose for the newly purified allerge ns the nomenclature of Fra e I, Lig v I and Syr v I.