Identification and analysis of allergens in edible mushroom (Agaricus bisporus)

Abstract

Mushrooms are considered as one of the healthiest food due to presence of high quality and quantity of fiber, protein, and vitamins. Hence, mushrooms are highly consumed and have a great demand in the food and pharmaceutical industry. However, the consumption of mushroom leads to allergic reactions in certain individuals. Food allergy is mainly a Type-1 hypersensitive reaction that is mediated by immunoglobulin IgE, where allergens, dominantly proteins are the main causative agents of allergy. Currently, there is very limited information available regarding allergy caused by consumption of mushroom. In this study, we have performed a detailed in silico analysis to identify allergens in edible mushroom, especially in Agaricus bisporus species. We have consulted Allergen Online and AllFam database to identify putative allergens from the proteome of A. bisporus. Identified putative allergens were annotated with the help of Gene Ontology (GO), PFAM, and InterPro databases. These putative allergens were classified into different protein families. We have also modeled the structure of heat shock protein hsp70 protein (A0A172B3E0), which is identified as an allergen protein in A. bisporus, to get structural insights and ultimately understand its role as an allergen.