title: Proteome of conidial surface associated proteins of Aspergillus fumigatus reflecting potential vaccine candidates and allergens.
abstract: Aspergillus fumigatus is a mold causing most of the invasive fungal lung infections in the immunocompromised host. In addition, the species is the causative agent of certain allergic diseases. Both in invasive and in allergic diseases, the conidial surface mediates the first contact with the human immune system. Thus, conidial surface proteins may be reasonable vaccine candidates as well as important allergens. To broaden the list of those antigens, intact viable Aspergillus conidia were extracted with mild alkaline buffer at pH 8.5 in the presence of a 1,3-beta-glucanase. The proteome of this fraction was separated by two- dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Altogether 26 different A. fumigatus proteins were identified, twelve of which contain a signal for secretion. Among these were the known major conidial surface protein rodlet A, one acid protease PEP2, one lipase, a putative disulfide isomerase and a putative fructose-1,6-biphosphatase. The known allergen Aspf 3 was identified among the proteins without a signal for secretion. On the basis of the recently annotated A. fumigatus genome (Nature 2005, 438, 1151-1156), proteome analysis is now a powerful tool to confirm expression of hypothetical proteins and, thereby to identify additional vaccine candidates and possible new allergens of this important fungal pathogen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Abdul R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Asif
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oellerich
authors.forename: Victor W
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Amstrong
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Riemenschneider
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monod
authors.forename: Utz
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Reichard
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens; D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005561:Formates / Q000737:chemistry; D005657:Fungal Vaccines; D007525:Isoelectric Focusing; D007526:Isoelectric Point; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010449:Peptide Mapping; D020543:Proteome / Q000032:analysis*; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry*; D014357:Trypsin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D000946:Antigens, Fungal; D005561:Formates; D005657:Fungal Vaccines; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D020543:Proteome; C030544:formic acid; D014357:Trypsin