Characterization of folded recombinant Der p 5, a potential diagnostic marker allergen for house dust mite allergy.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Der p 5 was reported as an important allergen in Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, which is particularly recognized by patients suffering from asthma. The aim of this study was to produce, by recombinant DNA technology, a folded Der p 5 allergen for diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive purposes.

METHODS:

Der p 5-encoding cDNA was isolated from a lambda gt11 D. pteronyssinus expression cDNA library and expressed in Escherichia coli. rDer p 5 was purified to homogeneity and characterized by mass spectroscopy and circular dichroism. IgE reactivity was tested with sera from 117 mite-allergic patients and in a basophil histamine release experiment. Der p 5-specific rabbit IgG antibodies were produced for the ultrastructural localization of the allergen in mites by immunogold electron microscopy as well as for cross-reactivity studies.

RESULTS:

rDer p 5 is a heat-stable protein with predominantly alpha-helical secondary structure which reacted with IgE from 31% of mite-allergic patients' sera and showed no relevant cross-reactivity to group 5 allergens from storage mites and tropical mites. rDer p 5-specific rabbit IgG antibodies inhibited mite-allergic patients' IgE binding to Der p 5 and allowed to localize the allergen in secretory granules of midgut epithelial cells of house dust mites.

CONCLUSIONS:

The described rDer p 5 molecule may be useful for diagnosis and immunotherapy of house dust mite-allergic patients.

• Authors: Margit Weghofer, Monika Grote, Yuliya Dall'Antonia, Enrique Fernández-Caldas, Maria-Theresa Krauth, Marianne van Hage, Friedrich Horak, Wayne R Thomas, Peter Valent, Walter Keller, Rudolf Valenta, Susanne Vrtala
• Journal: International archives of allergy and immunology (Int Arch Allergy Immunol) Vol. 147 Issue 2 Pg. 101-9 ( 2008) ISSN: 1423-0097 [Electronic] Switzerland
• PMID: 18520154 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: (c) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Chemical References

• Allergens
• Antigens, Dermatophagoides
• Arthropod Proteins
• Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus antigen p 5
• Recombinant Proteins
• Immunoglobulin E

Topics

• Allergens (chemistry, genetics, immunology)
• Animals
• Antigens, Dermatophagoides (chemistry, genetics, immunology)
• Arthropod Proteins
• Basophils (immunology)
• Escherichia coli (genetics)
• Histamine Release
• Humans
• Hypersensitivity (diagnosis, immunology)
• Immunoglobulin E (blood, immunology)
• Protein Folding
• Protein Structure, Secondary
• Pyroglyphidae (immunology)
• Recombinant Proteins (chemistry, genetics, immunology)