An immunoglobulin-like fold in a major plant allergen: the solution structure of Phl pII from a timothy grass pollen

Grass pollen allergens are the most important and widespread elicitors of pollen allergy. One of the major plant allergens which millions of people worldwide are sensitized to is Phl p 2, a small protein from timothy grass pollen. Phl p 2 is representative of the large family of cross-reacting plant allergens classified as group 2/3, Recombinant Phl p 2 has been demonstrated by immunological cross-reactivity studies to be immunologically equivalent to the natural protein.