Cupressaceae pollinosis: Identification, purification and cloning of relevant allergens

Allergy to Cupressaceae pollen is a worldwide pollinosis caused by several species. Pollen extracts prepared from allergenic species belonging to this family are characterised by low protein and high carbohydrate content. The allergenic components represented in the pollen extracts from different sp ecies of the Cupressaceae family show high levels of cross-reactivity when probed with human IgE from allergic subjects and share a number of common e pitopes also identified by polyclonal rabbit antisera and monoclonal antibo dies. A close relationship has also been described with the Taxodiaceae and Podocarpaceae families. Although both proteic and carbohydrate epitopes ap pear to be involved in IgE recognition and allergenic cross-reactivity, a l arge portion of the IgE reactivity of Cupressaceae-allergic patients seems to be associated with sugar moieties present on the relevant allergenic mol ecules. From this point of view, Cupressaceae/Taxodiaceae allergens constit ute a particularly useful model to study IgE cross-reactivity, as they have been shown to display different levels of homology. Moreover, the availabi lity of the purified allergens, together with their recombinant counterpart s, may shed light on the actual role played by carbohydrate in allergic sen sitisation, IgE recognition and allergenic cross-reactivity. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.