title: Homology modeling of allergenic cyclophilins: IgE-binding site and structural basis of cross-reactivity.
abstract: Cross-reactivity among allergens is of considerable scientific as well as clinical interest. Proteins belonging to the allergenic cyclophilin family share a high degree of sequence homology and are cross-reactive. Until date no three-dimensional structural information is available on these proteins and the shared structural features of the epitopes which are the most important determinants of cross-reactivity. Cyclophilins are also known to bind with the immuno-suppressive drug cyclosporin. Comparative molecular modeling of these allergenic cyclophilin proteins of different sources was performed in order to investigate the structural basis of their cross-reactivity. All the proteins studied revealed a similarity in the shape of the cross-reactive epitopes with varying degrees of accessibility. Cyclosporin binding and allergenic properties of these proteins were also found to be structurally related.
authors.affiliation: Bioinformatics Centre, Bose Institute, Kolkata, India. debjani@bic.boseinst.ernet.in
authors.forename: Debjani
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: Debajyoti
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: Swati
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gupta-Bhattacharya
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D001665:Binding Sites; D021983:Cyclophilins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D000939:Epitopes; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D052179:Antigens, Plant; C120961:Asp fl 1 allergen; D000939:Epitopes; D005656:Fungal Proteins; C447601:Mal f 6 allergen; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D021983:Cyclophilins