title: Recombinant Der p 1 and Der f 1 exhibit cysteine protease activity but no serine protease activity.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 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
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takai
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Yasuhisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakata
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yasueda
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Izuhara
authors.forename: Ko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.forename: Hideoki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ogawa
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: 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