title: Cloning and immunological characterization of the allergen Hel a 2 (profilin) from sunflower pollen.
abstract: Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) sensitization is not always related with occupational allergy. We have isolated the allergen profilin (Hel a 2) from this Compositae plant, cloned and sequenced five cDNAs encoding for full-length or partial Hel a 2. Natural sunflower profilin reacted with specific IgE in the 121 sera tested, at a frequency of 30.5%. Expression of the cDNA encoding Hel a 2 in Escherichia coli and a simple purification procedure by poly-L-proline chromatography allowed immunological characterization of the recombinant allergen. Binding of monoclonal antibodies against sunflower profilin revealed that some epitopes responsible for antigen-specific IgG production were not present in the recombinant allergen. High cross-reactivity has been found between recombinant Hel a 2 and profilins from other Compositae plants and also from botanically distant plants.
authors.affiliation: R&D Department, IFIDESA-ARISTEGUI, Alameda Urquijo, Bilbao, Spain. im000001@sarenet.es
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Asturias
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Arilla
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gómez-Bayón
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aguirre
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Palacios
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martínez
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000915:Antibody Affinity; D000937:Antigen-Antibody Reactions / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003285:Contractile Proteins; D003429:Cross Reactions / Q000235:genetics; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000032:analysis; D005784:Gene Amplification / Q000235:genetics; D006368:Helianthus / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008840:Microfilament Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology; D051304:Profilins; D011817:Rabbits; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D003285:Contractile Proteins; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D051304:Profilins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins