Identification of vacuolar serine proteinase as a major allergen of Aspergillus fumigatus by immunoblotting and N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis
Hd. Shen et al., Identification of vacuolar serine proteinase as a major allergen of Aspergillus fumigatus by immunoblotting and N-terminal amino acid sequence analysis, CLIN EXP AL, 31(2), 2001, pp. 295-302
Background Aspergillus species are common airborne fungi that have been ide
ntified as causative agents of extrinsic bronchial asthma. More than 10 all
ergens from A. fumigatus have been recently characterized by cDNA cloning.
Objective The objective of this study is to identify A. fumigatus allergens
through immunoblot analysis using sera from asthmatic patients.
Methods IgE-binding components of A. fumigatus and IgE cross-reactivity amo
ng allergens of different prevalent airborne fungal species were analysed b
y immunoblot and immunoblot inhibition, respectively, using sera from asthm
atic patients. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of major allergens ident
ified were determined by Edman degradation.
Results Among two batches (70 and 41 sera) of asthmatic sera tested, 19 (27
%) and 14 (34%), respectively, have IgE immunoblot reactivity towards compo
nents of A. fumigatus. A 34-kDa protein that reacts with IgE antibodies in
15 (79%) and 11 (79%) of the 19 and 14 positive samples, respectively, may
be considered a major allergen of A. fumigatus. The N-terminal amino acid s
equences of the 34 kDa major allergen and the 30.5 and 30 kDa IgE-binding c
omponents of A. fumigatus showed sequence identity to that of the vacuolar
serine proteinase from A. fumigatus. The results from immunoblot inhibition
show IgE cross-reactivity among major allergens of A. fumigatus, P. notatu
m and P. oxalicum.
Conclusions Results obtained suggest that the 34 kDa major allergen of A. f
umigatus may be a vacuolar serine proteinase. There is IgE cross-reactivity
among serine proteinase allergens of A. fumigatus, P. notatum and P. oxali
cum.