title: Purification and characterization of the allergenic components of shimeji mushroom (Tricholoma conglobatum) spore for shimeji workers' hypersensitivity pneumonitis.
abstract: Respiratory symptoms and hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) among mushroom workers have been well documented. Inhalation of shimeji mushroom (Tricholoma conglobatum) spore has been assumed to be the cause of HP among indoor shimeji cultivating workers. We isolated and partially characterized the allergenic components of shimeji. The sera from 9 HP patients, 10 asymptomatic shimeji workers and 15 normal individuals were examined for shimeji specific IgG and IgA antibodies by ELISA using crude shimeji extract. Shimeji specific IgG- and IgA-antibodies were higher in sera from HP patients than in sera from control subjects. Crude shimeji spore extract was separated and purified by HPLC followed by SDS-PAGE, and their antigenic activity was studied by immunoblotting with a pool of sera from patients. Sera from all HP patients showed IgG and IgA antibody activities to 21, 16 and 14 kD proteins extracted from shimeji spore. The 21 kD protein contained internal peptide amino acid sequence of Gly-Gly-Thr-Val-Ile-Asn-Leu-Leu-Gly, Gln-Arg-Phe-Glu-Glu and Gln-Gly-Ile-Tyr. These results demonstrate that shimeji spore extract contains multiple proteinous components, which have antigenic activity to react with the sera from HP patients among shimeji workers. These proteins may be the potent sensitizing allergens to cause HP among shimeji cultivating workers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hisauchi-Kojima
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Umino
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Atarashi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshizawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000363:Agaricales / Q000276:immunology*; D000368:Aged; D000383:Agriculture; D000485:Allergens / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000542:Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic / Q000276:immunology*; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000276:immunology; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005260:Female; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007564:Japan; D008875:Middle Aged; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000276:immunology; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000276:immunology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D000908:Antibodies, Fungal; D000946:Antigens, Fungal; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D009842:Oligopeptides; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010936:Plant Extracts