Group I allergens of grass pollen as cell wall-loosening agents.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Cosgrove DJ
PROVIDER: S-EPMC21089 | biostudies-literature | 1997 Jun
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Group I allergens of grass pollen as cell wall-loosening agents.
Cosgrove D J DJ Bedinger P P Durachko D M DM
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 19970601 12
Group I allergens are the major allergens of grass pollen, but their biological function is unknown. These proteins are shown here to be structurally related to expansins, which are able to induce extension (creep) of plant cell walls. Extracts of maize pollen possess potent expansin-like activity, as measured in wall extension and wall stress-relaxation assays. This activity is selective for grass cell walls and is, at least partly, due to the action of maize group I allergens. We propose that ...[more]
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