title: Implications of the grass group I allergens on the sensitization and provocation process.
abstract: Grass pollen allergens of group I are particularly important because of their high IgE prevalence and occurrence in all grass species. Four independent IgE-binding regions and one continous epitope were identified. The posttranslational modifications on the molecule increased allergenicity. Phl p 1 is a cysteine protease, as determined by specific substrates, inhibitors and consensus sequence motifs. In analogy to other allergens and/or proteases, we deduce that Phl p 1 might enhance the permeability of the epithelium, influence T helper cells to bias Th2, and increase the IgE production of plasma cells. Thus, the group I allergens seem to be the crucial components in a pollen extract which can mediate sensitization and enhance the triggering of symptoms leading to the persistence of a grass pollen allergy.
authors.affiliation: Forschungszentrum Borstel, Biochemische und Molekulare Allergologie, Borstel, Germany. apeters@fz-borstel.de
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Grobe
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schramm
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vieths
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Altmann
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schlaak
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Becker
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D018604:Epitope Mapping; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011058:Pollen; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D010940:Plant Proteins; C090396:PHLPI protein, Phleum pratense; D007073:Immunoglobulin E