Trees within the order Fagales possess particularly potent allergens, e.g. the prototypical Bet v 1, the major white birch (Betula 🔑 verrucosa - now called B. pendula) pollen antigen. Bet v 1 is the main cause of type I allergies observed 🔑 in early spring. Type I, or immunoglobulin E-mediated (IgE-mediated) allergies affect 1 in 5 people in Europe and North America. 🔑 Commonly observed symptoms are hay fever, dermatitis, asthma and, in severe cases, anaphylactic shock. First contact with these allergens results 🔑 in sensitisation; subsequent contact produces a cross-linking reaction of IgE on mast cells and concomitant release of histamine. The inevitable 🔑 symptoms of an allergic reaction ensue.

Categorization [ edit ]

A nomenclature system has been established for antigens (allergens) that cause IgE-mediated 🔑 atopic allergies in humans.[2] This nomenclature system is defined by a designation that is composed of the first three letters 🔑 of the genus; a space; the first letter of the species name; a space and an Arabic number. In the 🔑 event that two species names have identical designations, they are discriminated from one another by adding one or more letters 🔑 (as necessary) to each species designation.

The allergens in this family include allergens with the following designations: Bet v 1, Dau 🔑 c 1, and Pru a 1. Other proteins belonging to this family include the major pollen allergens:

Structure [ edit ]