Profilins are cytosolic proteins of 12-15 kDa in size, which are found in all eukaryotic cells. Profilins bind to monomeric actin (G actin) and a plethora of other proteins, thus regulating the dynamics of actin polymerization during processes such as cell movement, cytokinesis, and signaling [1].
Profilins from higher plants constitute a family of highly conserved proteins showing sequence identities of at least 75% even between members from distantly related organisms. Profilins from pollen, plant foods, and Hevea latex are minor albeit highly cross-reactive allergens eliciting IgE responses in 10-20% of pollen-allergic patients [2]. Since profilin-specific IgE usually cross-reacts with homologues from virtually every plant source, sensitization to these allergens has been considered a risk factor for allergic reactions to multiple pollen sources [3] and for pollen-associated food allergy [4].
Family-defining Pfam domains (at least one of these domains is present in each family member):
| Pfam domain | Pfam clan | ||
| PF00235 | Profilin | CL0431 | Profilin-like superfamily |
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