Recombinant Der p 1 and Der f 1 exhibit cysteine protease activity but no serine protease activity.
Although mite major group 1 allergens, Der p 1 and Der f 1, were first isolated as cysteine proteases, some studies reported that natural Der p 1 exhibits mixed cysteine and serine protease activity. Clarifying whether the serine protease activity originates from Der p 1 or is due to contamination is important for distinguishing between the pathogenic proteolytic activities of group 1 allergens and mite-derived serine proteases. Recombinant mite group 1 allergens would be useful tool for addressing this issue, because they are completely free from contamination by mite serine proteases. Recombinant Der p 1 and Der f 1, and highly purified natural forms exhibited only cysteine protease activity. However, commercially available natural forms exhibited both activities, but the two activities were eluted into different fractions in size-exclusion column chromatography. The substrate specificity associated with the serine protease activity was similar to that of Der f 3. These results indicate that the serine protease activity does not originate from group 1 allergens.
Takai
Toshiro
T
Atopy (Allergy) Research Center, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8421, Japan. t-takai@med.juntendo.ac.jp
Kato
Takeshi
T
Sakata
Yasuhisa
Y
Yasueda
Hiroshi
H
Izuhara
Kenji
K
Okumura
Ko
K
Ogawa
Hideoki
H
D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D060829:Arthropod Proteins; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000737:chemistry*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D007700:Kinetics; D010843:Pichia / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D039981:Pyroglyphidae / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000737:chemistry*; D013379:Substrate Specificity
D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D060829:Arthropod Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; C451159:Dermatophagoides farinae antigen f 1; C451162:Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus antigen p 1