title: An attempt to define allergen-specific molecular surface features: a bioinformatic approach.
abstract: Allergens are proteins that elicit T helper lymphocyte type 2 (Th2) responses culminating in IgE antibody production and allergic disease. However, we have no answer to the fundamental question of why certain proteins are allergens, while others are not. We hypothesized that analysis of the surface of diverse allergens may reveal common structural features which might enable them to be recognized as Th2-inducing antigens by cells of the innate immune system. We have therefore used the ConSurf server to search for allergen-specific motifs. This has enabled us to identify residue conservation patterns in the homologues of Ara t 8 (plant profilin), Act c 1 (actinidin), Bet v 1 (plant pathogenesis-related protein) and Ves v 5 (venom allergen). The results demonstrate the presence of allergen-specific patches consisting of an unusually high proportion of surface-exposed hydrophobic residues. The patches that have been identified may represent molecular patterns recognizable by cells of the innate immune system.
authors.affiliation: Allergy Research Group, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, The University of Nottingham Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: Ruta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Furmonaviciene
authors.forename: Brian J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Sutton
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Glaser
authors.forename: Charlie A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Laughton
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Herb F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Sewell
authors.forename: Farouk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shakib
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000485:Allergens / Q000737:chemistry*; D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods*; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000737:chemistry; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology; D007107:Immune System / Q000276:immunology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000737:chemistry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D051304:Profilins / Q000737:chemistry; D012984:Software; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D010940:Plant Proteins; D051304:Profilins; C431905:Ves v 5 allergen; C053376:pathogenesis-related proteins, plant; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; C018745:actinidain