Structure and allergenicity of plant N- and O-glycans

A part of the FSP "Immunobiology of Allergens"  supported by the Austrian Research Fund

As the N-glycans of plant glycoproteins differ from those of humans, they are immunogenic. Two major experimental strategies are applied to elucidate the role of protein glycosylation in allergy:

1.) Structural analysis of N-glyco-allergens from plants but also from invertebrates

2.) Characterisation of the binding specificity of anti-glyco IgG and IgE. Here, we are increasingly using recombinant glycosyltransferases to obtain clear results

3.) Structural analysis of a new class of glyco-determinants found on compositae allergens such as mugwort Art v 1.

Materials:

Specificity of IgG and IgE antibodies against plant and insect glycoprotein glycans determined with artificial glycoforms of human transferrin. Glycobiology, in press   (PDF, 0.3 Mb)

The two types of glycosylation of Art v 1 and their contribution to antibody binding. Poster at the ÖGAI-meeting 2003
(PDF, 0.2 Mb)