CDNA CLONING, EXPRESSION AND PRIMARY STRUCTURE OF PAR-J-I, A MAJOR ALLERGEN OF PARIETARIA-JUDAICA POLLEN

A 659 bp cDNA clone coding for an allergen of Pj pollen has been isola ted from a lambda gt11 library, and its DNA sequence determined. The c DNA insert showed an open reading frame of 429 bp coding for an allerg enic protein of 14,866 Da and a deduced amino acid sequence containing 143 residues. The expressed recombinant protein represented the major allergen Par j I since it reacted with 95% of the sera from Pj-allerg ic patients (n = 22) and with two Par j I-specific monoclonal antibodi es. No similarity with other known DNA and protein sequences has been detected.