Allergen Structure 1: 15 A Bioinformatic Approach to Allergen Nomenclature Applied to Allergens From the Non-Biting Midge Chironomus thummi thummi

摘要

BackgroundRepresentatives of the family Chironomidae (non-biting midges; order Diptera) are found worldwide. Freeze-dried chironomid larvae, predominantly of the species Chironomus thummi thummi are frequently used as fish food and are an allergen source for fish keepers and persons employed in the manufacture of fish food. At present, 9 allergens of C. thummi thummi have been assigned an official designation by the WHO/IUIS allergen nomenclature sub-committee: Chi t 1 to 9. All of them are hemoglobins with molecular weights of 16 kDa. IgE binding and cross-reactivity was clearly demonstrated for all these proteins. However, the assignment of 9 distinct allergen numbers to members of the same protein family is quite unusual.