What makes a protein an allergen?
ALLPreT researcher Ana Laura Olivares Martínez investigated which regions of legume proteins are recognised by IgE antibodies involved in food allergy.
Comparing proteins
We compared immune reactivity to proteins from peanut, a strong allergenic food, with similar proteins from legumes with lower allergenic potential, such as green pea and field bean.
Mapping where IgE antibodies bind
Complete sequences from legume proteins were divided into many small, overlapping peptides and placed on a peptide array. We then added blood serum from people with legume allergy, to see where their IgE antibodies bind. When IgE antibodies bind to several neighbouring peptides, this points to a recognised region of the protein: an IgE-binding region, or an epitope.
In other words: how much of each protein are people exposed to?
Are the same regions recognised across patients?
By comparing serum from different patients, we can identify regions that are recognised repeatedly. If IgE from several patients binds to the same region, this may indicate a shared region of immune recognition that could be relevant for allergic responses.
How could this inform food allergy risk assessment?
Combining IgE-binding maps with protein characterization techniques helps us compare strong and less strong allergenic legume proteins.
Results and publications
Ana Laura's results were presented during the online ALLPreT end symposium that took place on 6 October 2026.
Publications will be listed here.
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