Seed-Borne Spirosoma pollinicola in Commercial Hazelnuts: A Global Survey of Microbial Presence and Allergen Diversity.

ABSTRACT: Serious allergic reactions are increasing globally. Within this context, fatal anaphylaxis from hazelnut allergies is a critical public health concern. Hazelnuts, which are a common ingredient of many foods, contain many proteins that cause severe allergic reactions. Hazelnuts from all of the major commercial growing locations worldwide contained Spirosoma pollinicola sp. proteins. This endotoxin-producing bacterium is linked to the allergenicity of hazelnut pollen. We were unable to remove the contamination by S. pollinicola proteins, showing that this bacterium is a seed endosymbiont. Comparative proteomics revealed significant variations in the allergenic protein composition of nuts that correlated with patient immune responses. Hazelnuts from provenances 17 and 18 exhibited lower level

SUBMITTER: Karpinska B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12675980 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature