The Pru p 1.01 antibody is a highly specific monoclonal antibody (mAb) developed to detect the Pru p 1.01 isoallergen, a major allergen in peaches and nectarines. Pru p 1 allergens exist in two isoforms (Pru p 1.01 and Pru p 1.02), both of which share similar epitopes but differ in sequence and expression levels. The Pru p 1.01 antibody plays a critical role in quantifying allergen content for food safety and immunotherapy research .
Immunization: Mice were injected with 10–40 μg of rPru p 1.01 protein over multiple intervals.
Hybridoma Screening: ELISA and Western blot identified clones secreting antibodies reactive to Pru p 1.01/1.02.
Purification: Affinity chromatography (HiTrap Protein-A) yielded pure mAb A0-A7-G11 .
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Binding Capacity (Pru p 1.01) | 1.37 (ELISA OD) |
| Cross-reactivity (Pru p 1.02) | 1.53 (ELISA OD) |
| Quantification Range | 4–32 ng/mL |
| Intra-assay CV | ≤8% |
Allergen Quantification: Used in sandwich ELISA to measure Pru p 1 levels in peach varieties, aiding hypoallergenic fruit breeding .
Immunotherapy Monitoring: Assesses IgG responses in allergen-specific immunotherapy (SLIT) trials .
Food Safety Testing: Enables detection of Pru p 1 in processed foods to comply with labeling regulations .
Pru p 1.01 (Pru p 1.0101) is a major isoallergen found in peach and nectarine fruits belonging to the pathogenesis-related protein-10 (PR-10) family. It is homologous to the birch pollen allergen Bet v 1 and shows significant cross-reactivity with other PR-10 proteins . Antibodies against Pru p 1.01 are crucial for:
Quantifying allergen levels in different peach varieties
Studying cross-reactivity between related food allergens
Investigating allergen distribution in various fruit tissues
Understanding the structural and functional properties of this protein
Pru p 1.01 has a molecular weight of approximately 19.49 kDa and possesses ribonuclease (RNase) activity, which represents a common defense mechanism in plants responding to pathogen infection .
Production of anti-Pru p 1.01 antibodies follows these methodological steps:
For monoclonal antibodies:
Bal b/c mice are immunized subcutaneously and intraperitoneally with 10-40 μg of recombinant Pru p 1.0101 (rPru p 1.0101)
Mice receive booster immunizations five times at 2-week intervals with 50 μg antigens in Incomplete Freund's adjuvant
Antibody-producing hybridoma cells are selected through ELISA and Western blot screening
Antibodies are purified using HiTrap Protein-A affinity chromatography
For polyclonal antibodies:
Rabbits are immunized with recombinant Pru p 1.01
Serum is collected after multiple immunizations
In one documented study, this approach yielded five monoclonal antibodies and two polyclonal antibodies with high specificity to their target antigens .
Developing an effective sandwich ELISA (sELISA) for Pru p 1 detection requires careful consideration of several methodological factors:
Antibody selection and validation:
Choose monoclonal antibodies with high binding capacity and specificity as capturing antibodies
Validate polyclonal antibodies as detection antibodies to recognize multiple epitopes
Test combinations to determine optimal pairing (as shown in Table 1)
Pair matching example from research:
| mAb | Bio-P1 | Bio-P2 |
|---|---|---|
| A0-A7-G11 | 1.66 | 1.51 |
| B6-A1-B11 | 1.17 | 1.64 |
| C7-C4 | 0.72 | 1.10 |
| A2-D8 | 0.04 | 0.26 |
| 5-D10 | 0.19 | 0.35 |
Note: Values represent optical density; higher values indicate better pair matching
Protocol optimization:
Establish working range and detection limits (4-32 ng/ml is reported as effective)
Determine appropriate sample dilutions based on tissue type (peel 1:100, pulp 1:5, whole fruit 1:20)
Use recombinant Pru p 1 (mixture of isoforms) as a standard
Validate assay precision, accuracy, reproducibility and specificity
Isotype controls are essential negative controls in antibody-based experiments involving Pru p 1.01 detection:
Selection criteria:
Choose isotype controls with the same constant heavy chain as the primary antibody
Ensure the control lacks specific binding to Pru p 1.01 or related proteins
Match critical properties including concentration, species, and isotype class
Implementation methodology:
Run isotype controls under identical experimental conditions as the test antibody
Use the same concentration, incubation parameters, blocking solutions, and detection methods
Apply isotype controls to determine the level of non-specific background activity
Use the background signal to normalize and interpret the true signal of the Pru p 1.01 interaction
Analysis considerations:
Compare signal from primary antibody to isotype control run under the same conditions
Minimal staining indicates low background interference
Significant isotype control signal reveals background level that must be subtracted from test results
Note that while isotype controls reveal background staining, they don't independently confirm antibody specificity or indicate the source of background signals.
Purification and characterization of natural Pru p 1 (nPru p 1) involves several specialized techniques:
Purification protocol:
Affinity chromatography using specific monoclonal antibodies (such as A0-A7-G11)
Separation of the purified protein by SDS-PAGE
Confirmation of identity by Western blot showing a characteristic band at 17 kDa
Characterization methods:
Mass spectrometry (LC-MS) for sequence verification
Reported sequence coverage: 75.0% for Pru p 1.0101 and 83.1% for Pru p 1.0201
Immunoblotting with specific antibodies to confirm identity
Structural analysis:
NMR solution structure determination
Analysis of ligand binding (e.g., zeatin binding studies)
Conformational stability assessments
Evaluation of structural flexibility using NMR relaxation dispersion (RD) experiments
Evaluating antibody specificity to different Pru p 1 isoallergens requires systematic testing:
Cross-reactivity assessment:
Test antibodies against recombinant versions of each isoallergen (Pru p 1.0101, Pru p 1.0201, Pru p 1.0301)
Use ELISA with pure recombinant proteins to quantify binding affinities
Perform Western blot analysis to confirm recognition of specific protein bands
Example of specificity testing from published research:
| Antigen | rPru p 1.0101 | rPru p 1.0201 | rPru p 1.0101:rPru p 1.0201 (1:1 mix) | Peach peel extract | nPru p 3 | rMal d 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A0-A7-G11 | 1.37 | 1.53 | 1.89 | 1.28 | 0.04 | 0.12 |
| P1 | 1.91 | 1.24 | 2.03 | 1.24 | 0.05 | 0.70 |
| P2 | 1.52 | 1.53 | 1.79 | 1.27 | 0.11 | 1.33 |
| P1:P2 (1:1 mix) | 1.74 | 1.86 | 1.91 | 1.31 | 0.23 | 1.22 |
Note: Values represent optical density; higher values indicate stronger binding
Competition assays:
Perform competitive ELISA where unlabeled isoallergens compete with labeled ones
Calculate inhibition percentages to determine relative affinities
Compare epitope recognition patterns between different antibodies
Interpretation of Pru p 1 content variation requires considering multiple factors:
Methodological approach:
Sandwich ELISA with validated antibodies measures total Pru p 1 levels
Western blot confirms specific protein bands
qPCR of Pru p 1 genes correlates protein levels with gene expression
Observed variations:
Pru p 1 is mainly concentrated in the peel (0.20-73.44 μg/g fresh weight)
Pulp contains significantly lower levels (0.05-9.62 μg/g)
Wild peach varieties often show undetectable levels
Whole fruit content varies widely (0.12-6.45 μg/g) across 78 peach and nectarine varieties
Interpretation frameworks:
Genetic factors: Different cultivars express varying levels of Pru p 1 genes
Developmental factors: Maximum expression occurs during the pit hardening phase
Environmental influences: Fruit bagging during growth significantly reduces Pru p 1 gene expression
Ripening stage: Late-ripening yellow flesh varieties typically contain higher allergen levels
Research shows that wild peach varieties and certain nectarines (such as "Zi Xue Tao," "Wu Yue Xian," and "May Fire") contain low levels of both Pru p 1 and Pru p 3 allergens, making them potential hypoallergenic options .
Understanding the relationship between antibody binding and Pru p 1.01 functional properties provides critical insights:
Functional activities of Pru p 1.01:
Possesses ribonuclease (RNase) activity as a defense mechanism
Interacts with ligands such as zeatin
Correlative analysis methods:
Compare antibody binding regions with functional domains
Assess whether antibody binding affects enzymatic activity
Evaluate changes in protein conformation upon antibody binding
Research observations:
Zeatin inhibits the RNase activity of Pru p 1.0101 but has no effect on Pru p 1.0201
All three isoallergens interact with zeatin with comparable affinities (Kd values between 0.6 and 1.9 mM)
NMR relaxation dispersion experiments show that the glycine-rich region is rigid and structurally homogeneous in solution
Antibody binding epitopes appear to be distinct from the zeatin binding site, which is located in the protein's cavity
Recent research suggests that structural flexibility might represent a critical determinant that relates ligand binding of PR-10 allergens to immunologic reactions, with studies of hazelnut allergens (Cor a 1.04) showing correlation between antibody IgE binding and structural flexibility .
While not directly related to Pru p 1.01, other longitudinal studies of antibody responses provide valuable methodological insights:
Key influencing factors:
Patient demographics (age, sex, genetic background)
Clinical history and symptom profile
Pre-existing comorbidities
Occupational exposure
Longitudinal analysis approach:
Sequential serological tests at defined time points
Multiple FDA-approved immunoassay methods
Correlation of antibody titers with clinical parameters
Statistical analysis using appropriate methods for repeated measures
Study design considerations:
Sample size and diversity considerations
Time intervals between measurements
Selection of appropriate controls
In one longitudinal study of COVID-19 patients, those with one or more comorbidities developed significantly better antibody titers at 14 months compared to those without comorbidities (p=0.033). Additionally, patients reporting specific symptoms (loss of smell and taste) developed significantly higher antibody titers, emphasizing the importance of correlating clinical features with antibody response patterns .
Researchers face several technical challenges when developing antibodies against Pru p 1.01:
Production challenges:
Obtaining high-quality recombinant Pru p 1.01 for immunization
Maintaining native-like conformation of immunogens
Selecting optimal adjuvants to enhance immune response
Cross-reactivity issues:
High homology with other PR-10 proteins like Mal d 1 (apple allergen)
Sequence similarity between different Pru p 1 isoallergens
Need to distinguish between closely related protein family members
Methodological solutions:
Careful selection of immunogenic epitopes unique to Pru p 1.01
Rigorous screening of hybridoma cells using multiple techniques
Extensive validation against related proteins (as shown in the specificity testing table)
Application of different methods (ELISA, Western blot) to confirm specificity
Validation of new antibody batches requires a systematic approach:
Essential validation steps:
Purity assessment via SDS-PAGE and protein staining
Specificity testing against recombinant isoallergens and natural extracts
Sensitivity determination through titration series
Functional testing in target applications (ELISA, Western blot, etc.)
Performance metrics to evaluate:
Working concentration range
Detection limits
Recovery rates
Intra- and inter-assay precision
Application-specific validation:
For ELISA: standard curve generation, LOD/LOQ determination
For Western blot: testing against denatured and native protein forms
For immunoprecipitation: verification of target pull-down efficiency
Research indicates that satisfactory antibody performance should include sensitivity in the ng/ml range for ELISA, specific recognition of the 17 kDa band for Western blot, and minimal cross-reactivity with non-target proteins like nPru p 3 or other PR-10 family members .