Epitope mapping of the major allergen from Atlantic cod in Spanish population reveals different IgE-binding patterns

• Published in: Molecular nutrition & food research 2013-07, Vol.57 (7), p.1283-1290
• Main Authors: Perez-Gordo, Marina, Pastor-Vargas, Carlos, Lin, Jing, Bardina, Ludmilla, Cases, Barbara, Ibáñez, Maria Dolores, Vivanco, Fernando, Cuesta-Herranz, Javier, Sampson, Hugh A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Allergens - chemistry; Allergens - immunology; Allergic diseases; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Antigens - blood; Antigens - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Child; Cod parvalbumin; Digestive allergic diseases; Epitope mapping; Epitope Mapping - methods; Epitopes - chemistry; Epitopes - immunology; European Continental Ancestry Group; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fish allergy; Food allergy; Food Hypersensitivity - diagnosis; Food Hypersensitivity - immunology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gadus; Gadus morhua; Gadus morhua - immunology; Humans; Immunoassay; Immunoglobulin E - blood; Immunopathology; Male; Medical sciences; Molecular Sequence Data; Parvalbumins - chemistry; Parvalbumins - immunology; Peptide microarray; Protein Conformation; Spain; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1613-4125; 1613-4133
• DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201200332

Scope IgE‐epitope mapping of allergens reveal important information about antigen components involved in allergic reactions. The peptide‐based microarray immunoassay has been used to map epitopes of some food allergens. We developed a peptide microarray immunoassay to map allergenic epitopes in parvalbumin from Atlantic cod (Gad m 1), the most consumed cod species in Spain. Methods and results Sera from 13 fish‐allergic patients with specific IgE to cod parvalbumin were used. A library of overlapping peptides was synthesized, representing the primary sequence of Gad m 1. Peptides were used to analyze allergen‐specific IgE antibodies in patient sera. 100% of the patients recognized one antigenic region of 15 amino acids in length in Gad m 1. This region only partially correlated with one of the three antigenic determinants of Gad c 1 (Allergen M), parvalbumin from Baltic cod (Gadus callarias). In the 3D model of the protein, this region was located on the surface of the protein. Conclusion We have identified a relevant antigenic region in Gad m 1. This epitope could be considered as a severity marker and provides additional information to improve fish allergy diagnosis and the design of safe immunotherapeutic tools.