Identification and Molecular Characterization of the cDNA Encoding Cucumis melo Allergen, Cuc m ۳, a Plant Pathogenesis-Related Protein

Background: Melon (Cucumis melo) allergy is one of the most common food allergies, characterized by oral allergy syndrome. To date, two allergen molecules, Cuc m ۱ and Cuc m ۲, have been fully characterized in melon pulp, but there are few reports about the molecular characteristics of Cuc m ۳. Methods:The Cuc m ۳ cDNA has been characterized by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE), which revealed a ۴۵۶ base-pair (bp) fragment encoding a ۱۵۱-amino acid polypeptide with a predicted molecular mass of ۱۶.۹۷ kDa, and identified ۷۹ and ۱۷۸ bp untranslated sequences at the ۵′ and ۳´ ends, respectively. Results: In silico analysis showed strong similarities between Cuc m ۳ and other plant pathogen-related protein ۱s from cucumber, grape, bell pepper, and tomato. Conclusion: Here we report the identification and characterization of the Cuc m ۳ cDNA, which will be utilized for further analyses of structural and allergenic features of this allergen.