Trees within the order Fagales possess particularly potent allergens, e.g. the prototypical Bet v 1, the major white birch (Betula ♠ verrucosa - now called B. pendula) pollen antigen. Bet v 1 is the main cause of type I allergies observed ♠ in early spring. Type I, or immunoglobulin E-mediated (IgE-mediated) allergies affect 1 in 5 people in Europe and North America. ♠ Commonly observed symptoms are hay fever, dermatitis, asthma and, in severe cases, anaphylactic shock. First contact with these allergens results ♠ in sensitisation; subsequent contact produces a cross-linking reaction of IgE on mast cells and concomitant release of histamine. The inevitable ♠ symptoms of an allergic reaction ensue.
Categorization [ edit ]
A nomenclature system has been established for antigens (allergens) that cause IgE-mediated ♠ atopic allergies in humans.[2] This nomenclature system is defined by a designation that is composed of the first three letters ♠ of the genus; a space; the first letter of the species name; a space and an Arabic number. In the ♠ event that two species names have identical designations, they are discriminated from one another by adding one or more letters ♠ (as necessary) to each species designation.
The allergens in this family include allergens with the following designations: Bet v 1, Dau ♠ c 1, and Pru a 1. Other proteins belonging to this family include the major pollen allergens:
Structure [ edit ]
