Research progress on the allergic mechanism, molecular properties, and immune cross-reactivity of the egg allergen Gal d 5

Abstract

Eggs and their products are commonly consumed in food products worldwide, and in addition to dietary consumption, egg components are widely used in the food industry for their antimicrobial, cooking, and other functional properties. Globally, eggs are the second most common allergenic food after milk. However, current research on egg allergy primarily focuses on egg white allergens, while research on egg yolk allergens is not comprehensive enough. Therefore, summarizing and analyzing the important allergen α-livetin in egg yolk is significant in elucidating the mechanism of egg allergy and exploring effective desensitization methods. This paper discusses the incidence, underlying mechanism, and clinical symptoms of egg allergy. This article provides a comprehensive summary and analysis of the current research status concerning the molecular structural properties, epitopes, and immune cross-reactivity of the egg yolk allergen, Gal d 5. Additionally, it examines the effects of various processing methods on egg allergens. The article also offers suggestions and outlines potential future research directions and ideas in this field.

Keywords: egg allergen; epitope; immune cross-reactivity; prospects; α-livetin.

Figure 1

MAPK pathways mediated by ERK, JNK, and p38 protein kinases.

Figure 2

The linear epitope region of α-livetin (49). Red represents the linear epitope of amino acid (aa) 81–92, gray represents the linear epitope of aa118–125, blue represents the linear epitope of aa137–148, yellow represents the linear epitope of aa250–257, purple represents the linear epitope of aa390–400, cyan represents the linear epitope of aa490–500, orange represents the linear epitope of aa522–535, green represents the linear epitope of aa542–551, and pink represents the linear epitope of aa565–570. (A) represents the conformational epitope region of a-livetin at 0° view, (B) represents the conformational epitope region of a-livetin at 180° view.

Figure 3

Spatial conformation and conformational epitope region of α-livetin (49). Blue represents the conformational epitope of aa138–146, yellow represents the conformational epitope of aa325–332, purple represents the conformational epitope of aa406–411, cyan represents the conformational epitope of aa494–499, orange represents the conformational epitope of aa521–534, and green represents the conformational epitope of aa561–571. (A) represents the linear epitope region of a-livetin at 0° view, (B) represents the linear epitope region of a-livetin at 180° view.