The interaction of the major potato allergen patatin, Sol t 1, with IgE was investigated on a quantitative level as a function of heat treatment at different temperatures. On the basis of a number of publications, potato is considered to be a heat-labile allergen, but the molecular explanation for this behavior was not given. In this work, heat treatment of patatin in the absence and presence of other potato proteins mimicking the proteinaceous environment of the potato was studied. Using far-UV circular dichrosim spectroscopy, tryptophan fluorescence spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry, the molecular transitions during heating of patatin were investigated. It was found that as long as patatin is not aggregated, denaturation of patatin on a secondary or tertiairy folding level is reversible with only a minor effect on the IgE affinity. Aggregation of patatin results in a nonreversible unfolding and a concomitant important decrease in affinity for IgE (25-fold). Aggregation of patatin in the presence of other potato proteins results in a less condensed aggregate compared to the situation of isolated patatin, resulting in a more pronounced decrease of affinity for IgE (110-fold). It is concluded that the heat lability of patatin-IgE interaction is explained by aggregation of patatin with other potato proteins rather than by denaturation of patatin itself. Chemicals/CAS: carboxylesterase, 59536-71-9, 83380-83-0, 9016-18-6, 9028-01-7; immunoglobulin E, 37341-29-0; tryptophan, 6912-86-3, 73-22-3; Allergens; Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases, EC 3.1.1.-; Immunoglobulin E, 37341-29-0; patatin protein, Solanum tuberosum; Plant Proteins; Tryptophan, 73-22-3