T-cell epitope analysis of Mag 3, an important allergen from the house dust mite, Dermatophagoides farinae

Here we describe the detection of T-cell epitope region on the house dust m ite allergen Mag 3, which has been shown to trigger T-cell proliferation in mite-allergic asthmatic patients. We first examined murine T-cell epitope using T-cell fraction prepared from recombinant Mag 3 (r-Mag 3)-primed H-2( k) mice. Initial proliferation assay with truncated r-Mag 3 indicated that N-terminal 113 amino acid region was required for triggering T-cell activat ion. Subsequent epitope scanning with synthetic overlapping peptides reveal ed that T-cell reactive region was assigned within amino acid range 56-75. We also explored human T-cell determinant using specific T-cells from mite- allergic patients. Intriguingly, we found that amino acid range 56-85, a po rtion partially overlapping with that identified in r-Mag 3-primed mice, wa s exclusively recognized by T-cells from different patients. Further invest igation of unique T-cell epitope region found in this study would provide i nsight into the development of animal therapeutic model and/or peptide Vacc ine for asthma. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.