Allergen Structure 2: 21 Molecular Properties and Immunological Reactivity of Arabidopsis EXPB1 a Nonallergenic Homologue of Grass Group 1 Allergens

摘要

BackgroundGrass group 1 allergens are glyco-proteins of about 30kDa that are highly soluble and profusely released by grass pollen upon hydration. They bind to IgE antibodies that initiate the allergic response causing hay fever, seasonal asthma, and related immune responses in humans. Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon; subfamily Chloridoideae) is an important source of seasonal aeroallergens in warm tropical and sub-tropical areas worldwide. Improved approaches to diagnosis and therapy of allergic diseases require a thorough understanding of the structure and epitopes on the allergen molecule that are crucial for the antigen-antibody interaction. In order to understand structural basis of IgE reactivity of group 1 allergen Cyn d1, we have pursued a comparative genomic approach to search for hypoallergenic or non-allergenic homologues.