Mountain cedar allergens found in nonpollen tree parts.
BACKGROUND
Mountain cedar (Juniperus ashei) pollen is the principal aeroallergen in south central Texas from late December through February. The major mountain cedar allergen is a 40-kD glycoprotein, gp40.


OBJECTIVE
To identify allergens in mountain cedar wood, leaves, and berries and to detect mountain cedar allergen in smoke from burning male or female trees.


METHODS
SDS-PAGE plus mountain cedar human sIgE and monoclonal antibody immunoblots identified mountain cedar allergens within pollen and nonpollen tree part extracts.


RESULTS
IgE immunoblots identified a single wood allergen at 36 kD and three berry allergens at 36, 26-27, and 21 kD, in addition to known pollen allergens. Mountain cedar monoclonal antibody bound an allergen epitope present not only on 40, 33, and 28-kD pollen allergens, but also on 36 and 32-kD wood allergens, and the 26-27-kD berry allergen. Immunoblot studies detected no mountain cedar allergen in leaves and no allergen in smoke from burning male and female trees. Allergens constituted a much smaller percentage of extractable protein in wood and berries than in pollen.


CONCLUSIONS
Mountain cedar berry allergen content is too small to give credence to the ingestion of berries as a folk medicine treatment of mountain cedar pollinosis. In addition, while smoke from burning mountain cedar trees may be irritating, it contains no allergens that could cause allergic rhinoconjunctivitis.
Goetz
D W
DW
Allergy-Immunology Department, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland AFB, Texas, USA.
Goetz
M A
MA
Whisman
B A
BA
D000485:Allergens / Q000032:analysis*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008970:Molecular Weight; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D011058:Pollen; D012906:Smoke / Q000032:analysis; D014197:Trees / Q000737:chemistry*; D014934:Wood
D000485:Allergens; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D006023:Glycoproteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D012906:Smoke; D007073:Immunoglobulin E