Screening and identification of putative allergens in berry fruits of the Rosaceae family: Technical challenges

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Abstract
Cross‐reactive proteins in small fruits of the Rosaceae family like strawberry, raspberry and blackberry revealed an unexpected complex IgE‐reactivity pattern. Several copies of PR‐10 and PR‐14 proteins were detected by Southern blots in strawberry, raspberry and blackberry. In raspberry, the highest similarity at the DNA level for PR‐10 and PR‐14 (Rub i 1 and Rub i 3) was detected to strawberry sequences of Fra a 1 and Fra a 3. At the protein level, Rub i 1 and Rub i 3 showed more than 70% identity with homologous proteins of rosaceous fruits. Furthermore, raspberries contained additional putative allergens, e.g. class III acidic chitinases and cyclophilins. Blackberries were shown to share at least two well‐known major fruit allergens with other rosaceous fruits, namely PR‐10s and PR‐14s homologous proteins. However the IgE‐reactive proteins of small fruits are still not extensively investigated. The main challenges in studying small fruit allergens are the complexity of the fruit matrix, the diversity of physico‐chemical properties of fruit proteins, the lack of appropriate protein extraction procedures and the missing information about the influence of processing treatments on food components.