title: Mimotopes identify conformational epitopes on parvalbumin, the major fish allergen.
abstract: Parvalbumin, the major fish allergen, is recognized by allergen-specific IgE of more than 90% of all fish-allergic patients. A detailed knowledge of allergenic structures is crucial for developing a vaccine inducing blocking antibodies specifically directed towards the IgE binding epitopes. In the present study we aimed to use the phage display technique to generate mimotopes, which mimic epitopes on parvalbumin. Parvalbumin-specific IgE was purified from sera of fish-allergic patients and used for screening of a constrained decamer phage library. After four rounds of biopanning using parvalbumin-specific IgE, five phage clones were selected which were specifically recognized by parvalbumin-specific IgE as well as IgG. DNA sequencing and peptide alignment revealed a high degree of sequence similarities between the mimotopes. Interestingly, on the surface of natural parvalbumin three regions could be defined by computational mimotope matching. In accordance, previously defined allergenic peptides of cod parvalbumin highlighted areas in close proximity or overlapping with the mimotope matching sites. From the presented data we conclude that our approach identified conformational epitopes of parvalbumin relevant for IgE and IgG binding. We suggest that these mimotopes are suitable candidates for an epitope-specific immunotherapy of fish-allergic patients.
authors.affiliation: Center of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Untersmayr
authors.forename: Krisztina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Szalai
authors.forename: Angelika B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Riemer
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hemmer
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Swoboda
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hantusch
authors.forename: Isabella
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schöll
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spitzauer
authors.forename: Otto
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Scheiner
authors.forename: Reinhart
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jarisch
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boltz-Nitulescu
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jensen-Jarolim
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002347:Carps / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005399:Fishes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000097:blood; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008958:Models, Molecular; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010320:Parvalbumins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D019151:Peptide Library; D010802:Phylogeny; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D000939:Epitopes; D029941:Fish Proteins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D010320:Parvalbumins; D019151:Peptide Library; D007073:Immunoglobulin E