Plant allergic proteins and their biological functions.

Abstract

Pollen, fruit and latex in plants can induce allergic diseases like rhinitis, asthma and hay fever. These are classified into inhalent allergens, ingestent allergens and contactent allergens. Recent research showed that these plant allergens are responsible for specific and vital biological function for plants too. Studies on those allergenic proteins will be beneficial for immunotherapy and botanic research. Currently, research on the plant allergens and their related allergic diseases is setting up a novel and cross-subjects field involving plant molecular biology, immunology and allergy.