title: Determination of allergen specificity by heavy chains in grass pollen allergen-specific IgE antibodies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Affinity and clonality of allergen-specific IgE antibodies are important determinants for the magnitude of IgE-mediated allergic inflammation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to analyze the contribution of heavy and light chains of human allergen-specific IgE antibodies for allergen specificity and to test whether promiscuous pairing of heavy and light chains with different allergen specificity allows binding and might affect affinity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten IgE Fabs specific for 3 non-cross-reactive major timothy grass pollen allergens (Phl p 1, Phl p 2, and Phl p 5) obtained by means of combinatorial cloning from patients with grass pollen allergy were used to construct stable recombinant single chain variable fragments (ScFvs) representing the original Fabs and shuffled ScFvs in which heavy chains were recombined with light chains from IgE Fabs with specificity for other allergens by using the pCANTAB 5 E expression system. Possible ancestor genes for the heavy chain and light chain variable region-encoding genes were determined by using sequence comparison with the ImMunoGeneTics database, and their chromosomal locations were determined. Recombinant ScFvs were tested for allergen specificity and epitope recognition by means of direct and sandwich ELISA, and affinity by using surface plasmon resonance experiments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The shuffling experiments demonstrate that promiscuous pairing of heavy and light chains is possible and maintains allergen specificity, which is mainly determined by the heavy chains. ScFvs consisting of different heavy and light chains exhibited different affinities and even epitope specificity for the corresponding allergen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that allergen specificity of allergen-specific IgE is mainly determined by the heavy chains. Different heavy and light chain pairings in allergen-specific IgE antibodies affect affinity and epitope specificity and thus might influence clinical reactivity to allergens.
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunopathology, Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Centre for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna General Hospital, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gadermaier
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Flicker
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lupinek
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Steinberger
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valenta
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000915:Antibody Affinity; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002883:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 14; D002889:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 2; D000939:Epitopes; D050438:Genes, Immunoglobulin Heavy Chain; D056426:Genetic Loci; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006109:Poaceae / Q000276:immunology*; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D057127:Single-Chain Antibodies / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D000939:Epitopes; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; C084984:PHLPII protein, Phleum pratense; C076049:Phl p V protein, Phleum pratense; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D057127:Single-Chain Antibodies; D007073:Immunoglobulin E