Abstract
Olive seeds, which are a raw material of interest, have been reported to contain 11S seed storage proteins (SSPs). However, the presence of SSPs such as 7S vicilins has not been studied. In this study, following a search in the olive seed transcriptome, 58 sequences corresponding to 7S vicilins were retrieved. A partial sequence was amplified by PCR from olive seed cDNA and subjected to phylogenetic analysis with other sequences. Structural analysis showed that olive 7S vicilin contains 9 α-helixes and 22 β-sheets. Additionally, 3D structural analysis displayed good superimposition with vicilin models generated from Pistacia and Sesamum. In order to assess potential allergenicity, T and B epitopes present in these proteins were identified by bioinformatic approaches. Different motifs were observed among the species, as well as some species-specific motifs. Finally, expression analysis of vicilins was carried out in protein extracts obtained from seeds of different species, including the olive. Noticeable bands were observed for all species in the 15–75 kDa MW interval, which were compatible with vicilins. The reactivity of the extracts to sera from patients allergic to nuts was also analysed. The findings with regard to the potential use of olive seed as food are discussed.
Highlights
The olive tree is a vital element in the environment and agriculture of much of the Mediterranean basin, in Spain
A de novo assembled and annotated olive seed transcriptome was used to search for sequences allocated to 7S vicilin proteins, vicilins, and vicilin-like proteins
Sequencing of different cloned PCR products facilitated the identification of a partial consensus sequence of 240 amino acids that was used for additional bioinformatic analysis
Summary
The olive tree is a vital element in the environment and agriculture of much of the Mediterranean basin, in Spain. An increasing body of evidence has highlighted the potential of olive stones as a complementary source of biomolecules with multiple uses and a role in the biogenesis of EVOO [5, 6]. This has led to the generation of alternative processing techniques such as destoning processes prior to olive milling. The mature olive fruit, or drupe, is composed of an epidermis surrounding a fleshy mesocarp, in addition to a woody endocarp containing an embryo enclosed by an endosperm with two half-sector hemispheres [7]. The tissues encompassing the olive embryo and endosperm contain a large amount of storage lipids and proteins in the form of compartmentalised structures surrounded by membrane, named oil bodies and protein bodies, respectively [8]
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