Significant immunological cross-reactivity of plant glycoproteins

Plant glycoproteins generally cross-react because of the presence of identical or related complex glycans which are highly immunogenic. The use of mild periodate oxidation of glycans after glycoprotein transfer from sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gels to nitrocellulose membranes prior to immunodetection is a way of identifying the carbohydrate antigenic determinants of a glycoprotein as the basis for antigenic cross-reaction. Periodate oxidation can distinguish between antibodies directed against carbohydrate and against peptide antigenic determinants, the latter being unaffected by oxidation. Immunoblotting performed after periodate treatment allows the detection of common protein epitopes.