ANTIGENIC ANALYSIS OF CRYPTOMERIA-JAPONICA AND CHAMAECYPARIS-OBTUSA USING ANTI-CRY J-1 MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES

In Japan, pollen of Cryptomeria japonica and Chamaecyparis obtusa are a yearly source of distress for many people suffering seasonally from allergic rhinitis. To study common epitopes shared by the two species, two monoclonal antibodies (moAbs) were raised against Cry j 1, which is the most predominant allergen in C. japonica: One of the moAbs was found to be reactive even to the major allergen of C. obtusa, demonstr ating that the moAb (J1BO1) can detect an epitope shared by both speci es. J1BO1 strongly inhibited the binding of the major allergens of C. japonica and C. obtusa to IgE of patients who are sensitive to C. japo nica and C. obtusa. This finding signifies the importance of the epito pe recognized by J1BO1.