Der f 16: a novel gelsolin‐related molecule identified as an allergen from the house dust mite, Dermatophagoides farinae 1

• Published in: FEBS letters 2002-04, Vol.516 (1-3), p.234-238
• Main Authors: Kawamoto, Seiji, Suzuki, Takayuki, Aki, Tsunehiro, Katsutani, Takashi, Tsuboi, Shinji, Shigeta, Seiko, Ono, Kazuhisa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Allergen; Asthma; Dfb, Dermatophagoides farinae body extract; Gelsolin; GST, glutathione S-transferase; House dust mite; IgE; IPTG, isopropyl-1-thio-β-D-galactoside; PIP2, polyphosphoinositide 4,5-biphosphate; RAST, radioallergosorbent test
• ISSN: 0014-5793; 1873-3468
• DOI: 10.1016/S0014-5793(02)02540-1

Allergen from the house dust mite (Dermatophagoides sp.) is a major trigger factor of allergic disorders, and its characterization is crucial for the development of specific diagnosis or immunotherapy. Here we report the identification of a novel dust mite (Dermatophagoides farinae) antigen whose primary structure belongs to the gelsolin family, a group of actin cytoskeleton‐regulatory proteins. Isolated mite cDNA, termed Der f 16, encodes 480 amino acids comprising a four‐repeated gelsolin‐like segmental structure, which is not seen in conventional gelsolin family members. Enzyme immunoassay indicated that recombinant Der f 16 protein, prepared using an Escherichia coli expression system, bound IgE from mite‐allergic patients at 47% (8/17) frequency. This is the first evidence that the gelsolin family represents a new class of allergen recognizable by atopic patient IgE.