Vicilin (7S-globulin) N-terminal protein

Abstract

The N-terminal vicilin protein, a seed storage protein, which is characterized by a unique cysteine sequence, has garnered attention as a potential allergen. To understand the role of this new protein family in the pathology of food allergies and its possible clinical application as an allergen component, it is essential to evaluate the antigenicity of immunoglobulin E epitopes and the protein itself based on resistance to heat and digestion. In this paper, we clarify the recently reported allergenic and protein characteristics of the N-terminal vicilin protein and discuss its potential application as a clinically relevant allergen component based on its relevance to food allergy.