A new lipid transfer protein homolog identified as an IgE-binding antigen from Japanese cedar pollen

Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2010;74(3):504-9. doi: 10.1271/bbb.90685. Epub 2010 Mar 7.

Abstract

Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) pollen is a major cause of seasonal rhinitis and conjunctivitis in Japan, and an understanding of its full allergen repertoire is prerequisite for the development of future molecular diagnostics and immunotherapeutic strategies. Here we report the identification of a new C. japonica pollen IgE-binding antigen (CJP-8) homologous to lipid transfer proteins (LTPs), a class of plant cross-reactive allergens found in foods, latex, and pollen grains. The cjp-8 cDNA encodes a 165-amino acid polypeptide possessing the conserved eight cysteines characteristic of plant LTP family members. Escherichia coli-expressed recombinant CJP-8 (r-CJP-8) reacted with IgE antibody from Japanese cedar pollinosis patients at a 37.5% frequency (6/16).

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Antigens, Plant / genetics
  • Antigens, Plant / immunology*
  • Carrier Proteins / immunology*
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Cryptomeria / genetics
  • Cryptomeria / immunology*
  • Cysteine / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin E / immunology*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Plant Proteins / genetics
  • Plant Proteins / immunology*
  • Pollen / immunology*
  • Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / immunology
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

Substances

  • Antigens, Plant
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Plant Proteins
  • lipid transfer protein
  • Immunoglobulin E
  • Cysteine