Ovomucoid Explained

Ovomucoid should not be confused with Ovomucin.

Ovomucoid
Organism:	Meleagris gallopavo
Taxid:	9103
Uniprot:	P68390

Ovomucoid
Organism:	Gallus gallus
Taxid:	9103
Uniprot:	P01005

Ovomucoid is a protein found in egg whites. It is a trypsin inhibitor with three protein domains of the Kazal domain family.^{[1] [2]} The homologs from chickens (Gallus gallus) and especially turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) are best characterized. It is not related to the similarly named ovomucin, another egg white protein.

Chicken ovomucoid, also known as Gal d 1, is a known allergen. It is the protein most often causing egg allergy. At least four IgE epitopes have been identified.^[3] Three other egg white proteins are also identified as allergenic: ovalbumin (Gal d 2), ovotransferrin (Gal d 3) and lysozyme (Gal d 4).^[4]

Notes and References

1. Lineweaver H, Murray CW . Identification of the trypsin inhibitor of egg white with ovomucoid . The Journal of Biological Chemistry . 171 . 2 . 565–81 . December 1947 . 10.1016/S0021-9258(17)41067-2 . 20272096 . free .
2. Rimphanitchayakit V, Tassanakajon A . Structure and function of invertebrate Kazal-type serine proteinase inhibitors . Developmental and Comparative Immunology . 34 . 4 . 377–86 . April 2010 . 19995574 . 10.1016/j.dci.2009.12.004 .
3. Järvinen KM, Beyer K, Vila L, Bardina L, Mishoe M, Sampson HA . Specificity of IgE antibodies to sequential epitopes of hen's egg ovomucoid as a marker for persistence of egg allergy . Allergy . 62 . 7 . 758–65 . July 2007 . 17573723 . 10.1111/j.1398-9995.2007.01332.x . 23540584 .
4. Caubet JC, Wang J . Current understanding of egg allergy . Pediatr. Clin. North Am. . 58 . 2 . 427–43, xi . 2011 . 21453811 . 3069662 . 10.1016/j.pcl.2011.02.014 .