Molecular and immunological characterization of novel weed pollen pan-allergens.
BACKGROUND
Pan-allergens like profilins, calcium-binding proteins (CBPs), and nonspecific lipid transfer proteins have been suggested as possible specific markers for multiple pollen sensitizations, and could be used to predict cross-sensitization/poly-sensitization to several pollen allergens. Therefore, the purification and characterization of cross-reacting allergens in pollen is an extremely important task towards correct allergy diagnosis.


METHODS
New pan-allergens were identified by screening a ragweed pollen cDNA library with sera of patients allergic to mugwort pollen. Resulting proteins were cloned, expressed, purified and characterized.


RESULTS
We report complete cDNA sequences of two profilin isoforms (Amb a 8.01 and Amb a 8.02), two isoforms of a 2EF-hand CBP (Amb a 9.01 and Amb a 9.02), a new 3EF-hand CBP (Amb a 10) from ragweed pollen and a 2EF-hand CBP from mugwort (Art v 5). All these proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli, purified to homogeneity and characterized by biochemical and immunological means.


CONCLUSIONS
The identified proteins are novel pan-allergens and can be used as diagnostic markers for polysensitization and used in component-resolved diagnosis.
Wopfner
N
N
Department of Molecular Biology, Christian Doppler Laboratory for Allergy Diagnosis and Therapy, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
Gruber
P
P
Wallner
M
M
Briza
P
P
Ebner
C
C
Mari
A
A
Richter
K
K
Vogel
L
L
Ferreira
F
F
D000485:Allergens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D031164:Ambrosia / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D052179:Antigens, Plant / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D019306:Artemisia / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015549:Basophil Degranulation Test; D001491:Basophils / Q000276:immunology; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D003429:Cross Reactions; D020832:EF Hand Motifs; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D015723:Gene Library; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011058:Pollen / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D051304:Profilins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000097:blood
D000485:Allergens; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D051304:Profilins; D018749:RNA, Plant; D007073:Immunoglobulin E