IDENTIFICATION AND CLONING OF 2 NOVEL ALLERGENS FROM THE LIPOPHILIC YEAST, MALASSEZIA-FURFUR

Two novel allergens, designated Mal f 2 and Mal f 3 according to the W HO/IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Subcommittee recommendation, were isolat ed from the lipophilic yeast Malassezia furfur cell extracts and the g enes coding for those were cloned. Mal f 2 and Mel f 3 had apparent mo lecular weights of 21 kDa and 20 kDa, respectively, on SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions. The identified cDNA clone of Mal f 2 encoded an o pen reading frame of 177 amino acid residues. Fifty-one percent identi ty was found between the Mal f 2 and Mal f 3 sequences. Comparison of the Mal f 2 and Mal f 3 sequences with known protein sequences reveale d that they had sequence homology with two peroxisomal membrane protei ns of Candida boidinii and an Aspergillus fumigatus allergen, Asp f 3. In RAST, both Mal f 2- and Mal f 3-specific IgE antibodies could be d etected in approximately 70% of sera from M furfur sensitized patients with atopic dermatitis. (C) 1998 Academic Press.