Oleosins

Heterogeneous group of lipophilic structural proteins of plants, which have a significant allergological relevance (see below food allergens)

Due to their lipophilicity they elude routine diagnostics with the mostly aqueous allergen extracts. They are therefore underrepresented in aqueous extracts of legumes, seeds (e.g. sesame) and tree nuts and may therefore show false negative results.

They occur in the so-called oil body, the oleosome of the plants. There they prevent the individual lipid droplets from clumping together.

Oleosins are found in oil bodies of seeds and in pollen. They are found in bean plants ( peanuts), tree nuts (e.g. hazelnuts) and seeds ( sesame).

1. Kleine-Tebbe J et al (2010) Allergen families and molecular diagnostics of IgE-mediated food galleries: from theory to practice. Allergo J 19: 251-263
2. Worm M et al (2016) Guideline on the management of IgE-mediated food allergies. Allergology 39: 302-344