Avocado, the fruit of the tropical tree Persea americana, is a source of allergens that can elicit diverse IgE-mediated reactions including anaphylaxis in sensitized individuals. We characterized a 32-kDa major avocado allergen, Prs a 1, which is recognized by 15 out of 20 avocado-and/or latex-allergic patients. Natural Prs a 1 was purified, and its N-terminal and two tryptic peptide sequences were determined. We isolated the Prs a 1 encoding cDNA by PCR using degenerate primers and 5-rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The Prs a 1 cDNA coded for an endochitinase of 326 amino acids with a leader peptide of 25 amino acids. We expressed Prs a 1 in the yeast Pichia pastoris at 50 mg/liter of culture medium. The recombinant Prs a 1 showed endochitinase activity, inhibited growth and branching of Fusarium oxysporum hyphae, and possessed IgE binding capacity. IgE cross-reactivity with latex proteins including a 20-kDa allergen, most likely prohevein, was demonstrated, providing an explanation for the commonly observed cross-sensitization between avocado and latex proteins. Sequence comparison showed that Prs a 1 and prohevein had 70% similarity in their chitin-binding domains. Characterization of chitinases as allergens has implications for engineering transgenic crops with increased levels of chitinases.

IgE-mediated hypersensitivity to latex proteins present in health care products, particularly in latex gloves, has become an important public health problem in recent years. We purified natural Hev b 7, a 43-kDa patatin-like allergen from the latex of Hevea brasiliensis and determined several internal peptide sequences. A heterologous hybridization probe of a patatin gene of potato, to which these peptides could be aligned best, was used to screen a latex cDNA library. The cDNA encoded an acidic protein of 388 amino acids with a molecular mass of 42.9 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence had 39Ϫ42% identity to patatins from Solanum tuberosum. The purified recombinant Hev b 7 expressed in the yeast Pichia pastoris displayed, similarly to patatins from S. tuberosum, esterase activity. Both natural and recombinant Hev b 7 were recognized by IgE from sera of latex-sensitized allergic individuals. In contrast to patatins from S. tuberosum and Nicotiana tabacum, natural Hev b 7 lacked an N-terminal leader peptide for targeting to the endoplasmatic reticulum and was not glycosylated. These results establish the 43-kDa patatin-like protein as a latex allergen and raise the possibility of different cellular localization and function compared to S. tuberosum patatins.Keywords : latex allergy; Hev b 7; Hevea ; Pichia pastoris; type-I allergy.IgE-mediated hypersensitivity to natural rubber latex (NRL) allergenic potential and therefore potential hazards of latex products. This knowledge will help to make decisions whether to has become a serious medical problem especially among health care workers and patients who have to undergo repeated surger-withhold certain latex products or batches with high allergen content. ies such as patients with spina bifida [1, 2]. The increase in allergic reactions to latex has been partially attributed to the The presence of latex allergens in the 43Ϫ46-kDa range was demonstrated by several investigators [6, 7, 10Ϫ12]. The high enormous increase in the use of latex gloves for protection against HIV and hepatitis B and C [3, 4].prevalence of IgE antibodies against these latex allergens ranging from 23% [12] to 80% [6] and their presence in ammoniIn fresh NRL, the source material for manufactured latex products, a variety of IgE-binding proteins with molecular ated, non-ammoniated latex and manufactured latex products made these allergens especially interesting targets for diagnosis masses ranging over 5Ϫ110 kDa were detected by two-dimensional immunoblotting [5Ϫ7]. In 1993, the first latex allergen of latex allergy and monitoring of allergen content in consumer products. Recently, Beezhold et al. [11,12] reported a 46-kDa was identified at the molecular level as the rubber elongation factor [8]. Since then, a total of eight NRL allergens have re-latex protein that bound IgE from sera of 9/40 (23%) latexallergic health care workers in IgE immunoblots. Two peptide ceived an international nomenclature designation [9]. The full coding sequence is only known for Hev b 1, Hev b 2 (a β-1,3-sequences...

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Background: Cross-reactive allergens play an increasingly important role in latex allergy in complicating both the diagnosis and time course of allergic symptoms. Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), a ubiquitous protein of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, was described as a cross-reactive allergen in Aspergillus fumigatus. Little information is available on the importance of this pan-allergen in Hevea brasiliensis latex. The aim of this study was to clone and express MnSOD from H. brasiliensis latex, and to obtain the soluble and immunologically active recombinant allergen for diagnosis of latex allergy and to investigate possible cross-reactivities with the structurally related A. fumigatus and human MnSODs. Methods: A complementary DNA coding for Hevea latex MnSOD was amplified by PCR. The recombinant protein was produced in Escherichia coli with an N-terminal hexahistidyl tag. Enzymatic activity of the recombinant protein was determined using an enzyme assay for SODs. IgE immunoblotting and IgE inhibition assays were performed to characterize the recombinant allergen and its cross-reactivity. Results: A Hevea latex MnSOD consisting of 206 amino acid residues was cloned and expressed in E. coli. The allergen was designated Hev b 10. The recombinant protein was enzymatically active, indicating the correct folding of the protein. In immunoblots, latex- as well as A. fumigatus-allergic patients revealed IgE binding to recombinant (r)Hev b 10. Cross-reactivity to Asp f 6, the MnSOD from A. fumigatus, and human MnSOD was determined by inhibition of IgE binding to these MnSODs by rHev b 10. Conclusions: Hev b 10 is a new cross-reactive allergen of H. brasiliensis which belongs to the ‘latex-mold’ group of latex allergens. Furthermore, it is a candidate for primary sensitization in patients allergic to the pan-allergen MnSOD.

Background: A number of recombinant allergens are by now constituents of devices that can be routinely used for the detection of specific IgE. Therefore, the results of diagnostic procedures using conventional allergen extracts can be compared with those employing selected recombinant allergens. Methods: Thirty-four sera from patients allergic to birch pollen were tested with the standard t3-CAP^TM and rBet v 1a- and rBet v2-CAP^TM. cDNA was prepared by RT-PCR using primers according to the N terminus of purified allergens. Expression cDNA libraries were screened with IgE from selected patients. Results: Twenty-four patients allergic to birch pollen showed the same RAST class with t3 as with rBet v 1a; 8 patients differed within 1 RAST class. In addition, 3 patients showed RAST class 3 with rBet v 2. Besides Bet v 1 and Bet v 2, 3 allergens from celery and avocado belonging to highly conserved protein families were cloned and sequenced. Conclusions: rBet v 1a can be expected to represent an excellent tool for the diagnosis of patients allergic to birch pollen in Central, Northern, and Eastern Europe. Still, a much higher number of patients has to be tested. For their high degree of conservation, further protein families have to be identified to explain cross-reactivities of birch pollen allergens other than Bet v 1 and Bet v 2 with, e.g., allergens from vegetable food.