Endoplasmic reticulum as a storage site for allergenic proteins in pollen grains of several Oleaceae

Abstract

The ultrastructure of mature pollen grains of several Oleaceae species (Olea europaea, Fraxinus excelsior, Syringa vulgaris, Ligustrum vulgare, andForsythia suspensa) was studied and the immunolocalization of Ole e I, the major allergen of olige pollen, was determined by immunogold labelling. The five Oleaceae pollens studied here showed different intensities of labelling. The Ole e I allergen was localized throughout the rough endoplasmic reticulum. The absence of gold particles in other cell compartments, such as nuclei, pastids, mitochondria, dictyosomes, lipid bodies, and cell wall, as well as the absence of labelling in control preparations, indicate the specificity of immunolocalization. We conclude that endoplasmic reticulum of the mature pollen grain is a storage site for allergenic proteins and is probably also involved in their synthesis.