InterPro domain: IPR005795

Grass pollens are a major cause of type I allergy. Lol pI, the major rye grass (Lolium perenne) allergen, is a 240-amino acid protein [ 1 ]. Analysis of the amino acid sequence has revealed a determinant within the Lol pI molecule that is recognised by human leukocyte antigen class II-restricted T cells obtained from patients allergic to rye grass pollen [ 2 ].

Sequence analysis of a pollen-specific cDNA from maize has revealed a homologue (Zea mI) of the Lol pI gene [ 2 ]. The protein is ~70% similar to the reported amino acid sequence of Lol pIA. Southern analysis indicates Zea mI to be a member of a small multigene family in maize. Northern analysis indicates expression only in pollen, not in vegetative or female floral tissues. The timing of expression is developmentally regulated,occurring at a low level prior to the first pollen mitosis, and at a high level after post-meiotic division [ 3 ].

1. cDNA cloning and immunological characterization of the rye grass allergen Lol p I. J. Biol. Chem. 265, 16210-5
2. Zea mI, the maize homolog of the allergen-encoding Lol pI gene of rye grass. Gene 131, 227-30