t224 nOle e 1 Olive

Allergens within Tree Pollens

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  • Latin name: Olea europaea
  • Family: Oleaceae
  • Common names: Group 1 Oleaceae
  • Source material: Olea europaea (purified native)
Native allergen
nOle e 1 from Olive tree (1).
 
Biological function
A trypsin inhibitor.
 
Mw
18.5-20 kDa.
 
Allergen description
Ole e 1 exhibits a high degree of polymorphism (2) and is present in Olive tree pollen in 2 main forms, glycosylated and nonglycosylated, with apparent molecular masses of 20 and 18.5 kDa, respectively (3). nOle e 1 is actually a mixture of polypeptides with different glycosylation patterns (2).
 
Of the many allergens isolated and characterised from Olive pollen, Ole e 1 is the most frequent sensitising agent, affecting more than 70% of patients with sensitisation to Olive pollen, although other allergens, such as Ole e 4 and Ole e 7, have also been shown to be major allergens. The prevalence of many Olive pollen allergens is dependent on geographical location (4).
 
Not all allergens are found in every Olive tree cultivar. In a study examining the various IgE-binding proteins of the pollen extracts of the various Olive tree cultivars, 6 predominant IgE-binding bands, some of which appear in all the cultivars, were found. Ole e 1 appeared in only 8 of the cultivars, but not in the 9 others (5).
 
Current standard diagnostic methods utilise crude pollen extracts that contain a complex mixture of allergenic and non-allergenic proteins. Furthermore, Ole e 1 concentration has been shown to have a 25-fold variation in pollen extracts (6). Therefore, using a well-defined allergen such as nOle e 1 allows for improved diagnosis and therapy.
 
A high degree of cross-reactivity has been demonstrated among Olive tree (Olea europaea), Ash (Fraxinus exselsior), Privet (Ligustrum vulgare) and Phillyrea angustifolia (a bush usually confined to certain areas of the Mediterranean) (7). All are members of the Oleaceae family, although there is no total identity among these 4 pollen species (8). The major pollen allergens from Ash (Fra e1) Privet (Lig v 1) and Lilac or Syringa vulgaris (Syr v 1), another member of the Oleaceae family, are proteins homologous to Ole e 1 (9-14). Ole e 1 has been reported to be a marker allergen for the diagnosis of Olive and European ash pollen allergy (15).
 
Therefore, nOle e 1 may be of diagnostic benefit in particular in areas where no Olive trees exist but other Ole e 1-cross-reactive pollens are found. For example, in northern and central Europe, where there are no Olive trees, 2 commonly occurring genera of the Oleaceae family, Fraxinus and Ligustrum, are present; but these have a low frequency of allergic sensitisation compared to Olea. The importance of cross-reactivity is demonstrated by a study in Michigan, USA, where in 103 atopic subjects, cross-reactivity among Olive tree, Fraxinus, Privet and Russian olive tree pollens was demonstrated, even though the Olive tree does not grow in that area. Nineteen subjects were skin prick-positive to this allergen, confirming the effect of cross-reactivity (7).
 
Cross-reactivity between extracts of Oleaceae and some species of the Poaceae family has also been shown (16-17). The major allergen of Plantago lanceolata (English plantain) pollen, Pla l 1, has been shown to have significant sequence homology with the major Olive pollen allergen Ole e 1 (18).

Compiled by Dr Harris Steinman, harris@zingsolutions.com.

References:

    1. Liccardi G, D'Amato M, D'Amato G. Oleaceae pollinosis: a review. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 1996;111(3):210-7
    2. Huecas S, Villalba M, Gonzalez E, Martinez-Ruiz A, Rodriguez R. Production and detailed characterization of biologically active olive pollen allergen Ole e 1 secreted by the yeast Pichia pastoris. Eur J Biochem 1999;261(2):539-46  
    3. Villalba M, Batanero E, Lopez-Otin C, Sanchez LM, Monsalve RI, Gonzalez de la Pena MA, Lahoz C, Rodriguez R. The amino acid sequence of Ole e I, the major allergen from olive tree (Olea europaea) pollen. Eur J Biochem 1993;216(3):863-9
    4. Rodriguez R, Villalba M, Monsalve RI, Batanero E. The spectrum of olive pollen allergens. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2001;125(3):185-95
    5. Waisel Y, Geller-Bernstein C, Keynan N, Arad G. Antigenicity of the pollen proteins of various cultivars of Olea europaea. Allergy 1996;51(11):819-25
    6. Duffort O, Palomares O, Lombardero M, Villalba M, Barber D, Rodriguez R, Polo F. Variability of Ole e 9 Allergen in Olive Pollen Extracts: Relevance of Minor Allergens in Immunotherapy Treatments. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2006 Apr 3;140(2):131-138
    7. Kernerman SM, McCullough J, Green J, Ownby DR. Evidence of cross-reactivity between olive, ash, privet, and Russian olive tree pollen allergens. Ann Allergy 1992;69(6):493-6
    8. Bousquet J, Guerin B, Hewitt B, Lim S, Michel FB. Allergy in the Mediterranean area. III: Cross reactivity among Oleaceae pollens. Clin Allergy 1985;15(5):439-48
    9. Pajaron MJ, Vila L, Prieto I, Resano A, Sanz ML, Oehling AK. Cross-reactivity of Olea europaea with other Oleaceae species in allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma. Allergy 1997;52(8):829-35
    10. Obispo TM, Melero JA, Carpizo JA, Carreira J, Lombardero M. The main allergen of Olea europaea (Ole e I) is also present in other species of the Oleaceae family. Clin Exp Allergy 1993;23(4):311-6
    11. Gonzalez E, Villalba M, Rodriguez R. Immunological and molecular characterization of the major allergens from lilac and privet pollens overproduced in Pichia pastoris. Clin Exp Allergy 2001;31(2):313-21
    12. Liccardi G, Russo M, Saggese M, D'Amato M, D'Amato G. Evaluation of serum specific IgE and skin responsiveness to allergenic extracts of Oleaceae pollens (Olea europaea, Fraxinus excelsior and Ligustrum vulgare) in patients with respiratory allergy. Allergol Immunopathol (Madr) 1995;23(1):41-6
    13. Batanero E, Villalba M, Lopez-Otin C, Rodriguez R. Isolation and characterization of an olive allergen-like protein from lilac pollen. Sequence analysis of three cDNA encoding protein isoforms. Eur J Biochem  1994;221(1):187-93
    14. Barderas R, Purohit A, Papanikolaou I, Rodriguez R, Pauli G, Villalba M. Cloning, expression, and clinical significance of the major allergen from ash pollen, Fra e 1. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2005;115(2):351-7.
    15. Palomares O, Swoboda I, Villalba M, Balic N, Spitzauer S, Rodriguez R, Valenta R. The major allergen of olive pollen ole e 1 is a diagnostic marker for sensitization to oleaceae. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 2006 Jul 21;141(2):110-118
    16. Gonzalez RM, Cortes C, Carreira J. Un alergeno minoritario del pollen de Olea europaea compartido por cuatro especies communes de gramineas. Rev Esp Allergol Immunol Clin 1994;9:46-50
    17. Carreira J, Obispo T, Lombardero M. Alergenos de Olea Europaea y otras especies relacionadas. Rev Esp Allergol Immunol Clin 1994;9:46-50
    18. Calabozo B, Duffort O, Carpizo JA, Barber D, Polo F. Monoclonal antibodies against the major allergen of Plantago lanceolata pollen, Pla l 1: affinity chromatography purification of the allergen and development of an ELISA method for Pla l 1 measurement. Allergy 2001;56(5):429-35

2006



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