Isolation and Characterization of Clones Encoding Cockroach Allergens

Helm, Ricki M.; Jf, Crespo; Cockrell, Gael; Js, Stanley; Rj, Brenner; Burks, Wesley; Ga, Bannon

doi:10.1159/000237083

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…A high molecular mass allergen (72 kDa) has recently been cloned from P. americana, designated Per a 3; however, the homologous allergen does not appear to occur in B. germanica (35). Cloning of high molecular mass B. germanica allergens has also been reported (36).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cloning of Cockroach Allergen, Bla g 4, Identifies Ligand Binding Proteins (or Calycins) as a Cause of IgE Antibody Responses

Arruda

Vailes

Hayden

et al. 1995

Journal of Biological Chemistry

130

118

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An allergen cloned from a Blattella germanica (German cockroach) cDNA library, encoded a 182-amino acid protein of 20,904 Da. This protein, designated B. germanica allergen 4 (Bla g 4), was expressed as a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein in Escherichia coli and purified by affinity chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography. The prevalence of serum IgE antibody to recombinant Bla g 4 in 73 cockroach allergic patients with asthma ranged from 40% (antigen binding radioimmunoassay) to 60% (plaque immunoassay). Cockroach allergic patients gave positive intradermal skin tests to recombinant Bla g 4 at concentrations of 10 ؊3 -10 ؊5 g/ml, whereas non-allergic controls, or cockroach allergic patients with no detectable serum IgE antibody to Bla g 4, gave negative skin tests to 1 g/ml. Polymerase chain reaction and Southern analysis identified a 523-base pair DNA encoding Bla g 4 in both B. germanica and Periplaneta americana (American cockroach). However, Northern analysis showed that mRNA encoding Bla g 4 was transcribed in B. germanica but not in P. americana, suggesting that allergen expression was species specific. Sequence similarity searches showed that Bla g 4 was a ligand binding protein or calycin and unexpectedly revealed that this family contained several important allergens: ␤-lactoglobulin, from cow milk, and rat and mouse urinary proteins. Although the overall sequence homology between these proteins was low (ϳ20%), macromolecular modeling techniques were used to generate two models of the tertiary structure of Bla g 4, based on comparisons with the x-ray crystal coordinates of bilin binding protein and rodent urinary proteins. The results show that members of the calycin protein family can cause IgE antibody responses by inhalation or ingestion and are associated with asthma and food hypersensitivity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%