title: Molecular and immunological characterization of group V allergen isoforms from velvet grass pollen (Holcus lanatus).
abstract: Group V grass pollen allergens belong to the major grass pollen allergens causing reactions of type I allergy. cDNAs coding for two isoforms of the group V allergen of velvet grass pollen (Holcus lanatus), a widespread grass species, were isolated from a cDNA library by hybridization with a 5'-terminal reverse-transcribed PCR-derived cDNA probe. Amino acid sequences of the two isoforms, designated rHol l 5.01 and rHol l 5.02, revealed high similarity between them (78% identity) and to group V allergens and their isoforms found in other grass species. Recombinant Hol l 5 isoforms were expressed in Escherichia coli and purified as fusion proteins. To compare their immunological reactivities with group-V-specific monoclonal antibodies and patients' IgE, immunoblotting, ELISA and histamine release assay were performed. Interestingly, monoclonal antibody Bo9, specific for group Vb isoforms of timothy grass, bound only to isoform rHol l 5.01, not to rHol l 5.02. On the other side, IgE reactivities of patients' sera revealed no differences between the two isoforms when investigated by immunoblotting and only slight differences when investigated by ELISA. In histamine release assay both isoforms released comparable amounts of histamine from basophils of four individual patients. Thus, the two group V isoforms of velvet grass pollen exhibit differential binding when tested with monoclonal antibodies, i.e. different structure of single epitopes, but negligible differences concerning overall IgE-binding capacity and histamine-releasing capacity.
authors.affiliation: Forschungszentrum Borstel, Biochemische und molekulare Allergologie, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schramm
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bufe
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schlaak
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Becker
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D006632:Histamine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D006109:Poaceae; D011058:Pollen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D006632:Histamine