Low-pollen-allergen ryegrasses: towards a continent free of hay fever?

Abstract

The ryegrasses (Lolium spp.) are the major grass species sown for forage and amenity use in temperate areas of the world. Pollen of ryegrass is a widespread source of airborne allergens and is a major cause of hay fever and seasonal allergic asthma, which affect approximately 25% of the population in cool temperate climates. The main allergens of ryegrass pollen are the proteins Lol p 1 (35 kDa) and Lol p 2 (11 kDa). Lol p 1 and Lol p 2 belong to two major classes of grass pollen allergens to which over 90% of pollen-allergic patients are sensitive. In spite of being conserved in many plant species, the functional in planta role of these pollen allergen proteins remains largely unknown. We h..