Divergent Dimethylarginine Dimethylaminohydrolase Isoenzyme Expression in the Central Nervous System.

The endogenous methylated derivative of ʟ-arginine, Nω,Nω'-dimethyl-ʟ-arginine (asymmetric dimethylarginine, ADMA), an independent risk factor in many diseases, inhibits the activity of nitric oxide synthases and, consequently, modulates the availability of nitric oxide. While most studies on the biological role of ADMA have focused on endothelial and inducible nitric oxide synthases modulation and its contribution to cardiovascular, metabolic, and renal diseases, a role in regulating neuronal nitric oxide synthases and pathologies of the central nervous system is less understood. The two isoforms of dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH), DDAH1 and DDAH2, are thought to be the main enzymes responsible for ADMA catabolism. A current impediment is limited knowledge on specific tissue and cellular distribution of DDAH enzymes within the brain. In this study, we provide a detailed characterization of the regional and cellular distribution of DDAH1 and DDAH2 proteins in the adult murine and human brain. Immunohistochemical analysis showed a wide distribution of DDAH1, mapping to multiple cell types, while DDAH2 was detected in a limited number of brain regions and exclusively in neurons. Our results provide key information for the investigation of the pathophysiological roles of the ADMA/DDAH system in neuropsychiatric diseases and pave the way for the development of novel selective therapeutic approaches.

Asymmetric Dimethylarginine Contributes to the Impaired Response to Erythropoietin in CKD-Anemia.

Erythropoietin-resistant anemia is associated with adverse cardiovascular events in patients with ESRD, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we evaluated the role of the endogenous nitric oxide synthase inhibitor asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA). In 54 patients with advanced CKD, erythrocyte but not plasma ADMA levels independently associated with low hemoglobin values, although levels of both types of ADMA were elevated compared with those in healthy volunteers. Furthermore, erythrocyte ADMA level associated with the erythropoietin resistance index in patients receiving a weekly injected dose of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents standardized for hemoglobin levels and body weight, whereas it correlated with the erythropoietin demand index (plasma erythropoietin units divided by the hemoglobin value) in patients not receiving erythropoiesis-stimulating agents. Compared with sham-operated controls, wild-type mice with 5/6 subtotal nephrectomy (Nx), a remnant kidney model with advanced CKD, had decreased hemoglobin, hematocrit, and mean corpuscular volume values but increased erythrocyte and plasma ADMA and plasma erythropoietin levels. In comparison, dimethylarginine dimethlaminohydrolase-1 transgenic (DDAH-1 Tg) mice, which efficiently metabolized ADMA, had significant improvements in all of the values except those for erythropoietin after 5/6 Nx. Additionally, wild-type Nx mice, but not DDAH-1 Tg Nx mice, had reduced splenic gene expression of erythropoietin receptor and erythroferrone, which regulates iron metabolism in response to erythropoietin. This study suggests that erythrocyte ADMA accumulation contributes to impaired response to erythropoietin in predialysis patients and advanced CKD mice via suppression of erythropoietin receptor expression.

Preventive effect of Dioscorea japonica on squamous cell carcinoma of mouse skin involving down-regulation of prostaglandin E2 synthetic pathway.

Hyperproduced prostaglandin E2 by cyclooxygenase-2 and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 evokes several pathophysiological responses such as inflammation and carcinogenesis. Our recent study demonstrated that Dioscorea japonica extract suppressed the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 and induced apoptosis in lung carcinoma A549 cells. In the present study, we investigated the effects of Dioscorea japonica on squamous cell carcinoma of mouse skin. Dioscorea japonica feeding and Dioscorea japonica extract topical application suppressed the expression of cyclooxygenase-2, microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1, interleukin-1ß and interleukin-6 and inhibited tumor formation, hyperplasia and inflammatory cell infiltration. Immunohistochemical analyses showed the immunoreactivities of cyclooxygenase-2 and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 in tumor keratinocytes and stronger immunoreactivities of cyclooxygenase-2 and hematopoietic prostaglandin D synthase in epidermal dendritic cells (Langerhans cells). Treatment with Dioscorea japonica decreased the immunoreactivity of cyclooxygenase-2 and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1. These results indicate that Dioscorea japonica may have inhibitory effects on inflammation and carcinogenesis via suppression of the prostaglandin E2 synthetic pathway.

Neutralization of leukotriene C4 and D4 activity by monoclonal and single-chain antibodies.

BACKGROUND: Cysteinyl leukotrienes (LTs) are key mediators in inflammation. To explore the structure of the antigen-recognition site of a monoclonal antibody against LTC4 (mAbLTC), we previously isolated full-length cDNAs for heavy and light chains of the antibody and prepared a single-chain antibody comprising variable regions of these two chains (scFvLTC). METHODS: We examined whether mAbLTC and scFvLTC neutralized the biological activities of LTC4 and LTD4 by competing their binding to their receptors. RESULTS: mAbLTC and scFvLTC inhibited their binding of LTC4 or LTD4 to CysLT1 receptor (CysLT1R) and CysLT2 receptor (CysLT2R) overexpressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. The induction by LTD4 of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and interleukin-8 mRNAs in human monocytic leukemia THP-1 cells expressing CysLT1R was dose-dependently suppressed not only by mAbLTC but also by scFvLTC. LTC4- and LTD4-induced aggregation of mouse platelets expressing CysLT2R was dose-dependently suppressed by either mAbLTC or scFvLTC. Administration of mAbLTC reduced pulmonary eosinophil infiltration and goblet cell hyperplasia observed in a murine model of asthma. Furthermore, mAbLTC bound to CysLT2R antagonists but not to CysLT1R antagonists. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that mAbLTC and scFvLTC neutralize the biological activities of LTs by competing their binding to CysLT1R and CysLT2R. Furthermore, the binding of cysteinyl LT receptor antagonists to mAbLTC suggests the structural resemblance of the LT-recognition site of the antibody to that of these receptors. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: mAbLTC can be used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as asthma.

The hydrolase DDAH2 enhances pancreatic insulin secretion by transcriptional regulation of secretagogin through a Sirt1-dependent mechanism in mice.

The role of dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 2 (DDAH2) in glucose metabolism is unknown. Here, we generated DDAH2 transgenic (Tg) mice. These mice had lower plasma glucose levels (60 min: 298±32 vs. 418±35 mg/dl; 120 min: 205±15 vs. 284±20 mg/dl) and higher insulin levels (15 min: 2.1±0.2 vs. 1.5±0.1 ng/ml; 30 min: 1.8±0.1 vs. 1.5±0.1 ng/ml) during intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests when fed a high-fat diet (HFD) compared with HFD-fed wild-type (WT) mice. Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) was increased in Tg islets by 33%. Pancreatic asymmetrical dimethylarginine, nitric oxide, and oxidative stress levels were not correlated with improvements in insulin secretion in Tg mice. Secretagogin, an insulin vesicle docking protein, was up-regulated by 2.7-fold in Tg mice and in pancreatic MIN-6 cells overexpressing DDAH2. GSIS in MIN-6 cells was dependent on DDAH2-induced secretagogin expression. Pancreatic Sirt1, DDAH2, and secretagogin were down-regulated in HFD-fed WT mice by 70, 75, and 85%, respectively. Overexpression of Sirt1 overexpression by 3.9-fold increased DDAH2 and secretagogin expression in MIN-6 cells by 3.2- and 2.5-fold, respectively. DDAH2 overexpression improved GSIS in pancreas-specific Sirt1-deficient mice. In summary, the Sirt1/DDAH2/secretagogin pathway is a novel regulator of GSIS.

Dioscorea japonica extract down-regulates prostaglandin E2 synthetic pathway and induces apoptosis in lung cancer cells.

Prostaglandin E2 plays a role in an array of pathophysiological responses, including inflammation, carcinogenesis and so on. Prostaglandin E2 is synthesized from arachidonic acid by the enzymes cyclooxygenase and prostaglandin E synthase. In some pathological conditions, the isozymes cyclooxygenase-2 and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 are transiently induced, leading to prostaglandin E2 overproduction. The present study showed that Dioscorea japonica extract suppresses mRNA expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 in human non-small-cell lung carcinoma A549 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The suppressive effects of Dioscorea japonica extract on the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 were confirmed by Western blotting, cyclooxygenase activity and prostaglandin E2 production. Dioscorea japonica extract induced the translocation of nuclear factor-κB from the nucleus to the cytosol and inhibited the activity of the cyclooxygenase-2 promoter. Furthermore Dioscorea japonica extract suppressed the expression of the anti-apoptotic factor B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia/lymphoma 2 and enhanced apoptotic terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling-positive intensity in A549 cells. These results suggest that Dioscorea japonica extract suppresses the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1, with the regulation of the transcriptional activity of cyclooxygenase-2, and induces apoptosis in cancer cells. Thus, Dioscorea japonica may contribute to the prevention of prostaglandin E2-mediated pathophysiological responses such as carcinogenesis and inflammation.

A multicentric consortium study demonstrates that dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 2 is not a dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase.

Dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 1 (DDAH1) protects against cardiovascular disease by metabolising the risk factor asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA). However, the question whether the second DDAH isoform, DDAH2, directly metabolises ADMA has remained unanswered. Consequently, it is still unclear if DDAH2 may be a potential target for ADMA-lowering therapies or if drug development efforts should focus on DDAH2's known physiological functions in mitochondrial fission, angiogenesis, vascular remodelling, insulin secretion, and immune responses. Here, an international consortium of research groups set out to address this question using in silico, in vitro, cell culture, and murine models. The findings uniformly demonstrate that DDAH2 is incapable of metabolising ADMA, thus resolving a 20-year controversy and providing a starting point for the investigation of alternative, ADMA-independent functions of DDAH2.

Overexpression of dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase protects against cerebral vascular effects of hyperhomocysteinemia.

RATIONALE: Hyperhomocysteinemia is a cardiovascular risk factor that is associated with elevation of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA). OBJECTIVE: Using mice transgenic for overexpression of the ADMA-hydrolyzing enzyme dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase-1 (DDAH1), we tested the hypothesis that overexpression of DDAH1 protects from adverse structural and functional changes in cerebral arterioles in hyperhomocysteinemia. METHODS AND RESULTS: Hyperhomocysteinemia was induced in DDAH1 transgenic (DDAH1 Tg) mice and wild-type littermates using a high methionine/low folate (HM/LF) diet. Plasma total homocysteine was elevated approximately 3-fold in both wild-type and DDAH1 Tg mice fed the HM/LF diet compared with the control diet (P<0.001). Plasma ADMA was approximately 40% lower in DDAH1 Tg mice compared with wild-type mice (P<0.001) irrespective of diet. Compared with the control diet, the HM/LF diet diminished endothelium-dependent dilation to 10 micromol/L acetylcholine in cerebral arterioles of both wild-type (12 + or - 2 versus 29 + or - 3%; P<0.001) and DDAH1 Tg (14 + or - 3 versus 28 + or - 2%; P<0.001) mice. Responses to 10 micromol/L papaverine, a direct smooth muscle dilator, were impaired with the HM/LF diet in wild-type mice (30 + or - 3 versus 45 + or - 5%; P<0.05) but not DDAH1 Tg mice (45 + or - 7 versus 48 + or - 6%). DDAH1 Tg mice also were protected from hypertrophy of cerebral arterioles (P<0.05) but not from accelerated carotid artery thrombosis induced by the HM/LF diet. CONCLUSIONS: Overexpression of DDAH1 protects from hyperhomocysteinemia-induced alterations in cerebral arteriolar structure and vascular muscle function.

Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay system for the determination of asymmetric dimethylarginine using a specific monoclonal antibody.

We produced a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against N(G),N(G)-dimethyl-L-arginine (asymmetric dimethylarginine: ADMA), an endogenous competitive inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), and developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The competitive ELISA method using the mAb determined 5 nM-100 nM ADMA, and ADMA levels in human plasma and urine were found to be 0.78 µM and 51.3 µmol/g of creatinine respectively.

Asymmetric dimethylarginine, an endogenous NOS inhibitor, is actively metabolized in rat erythrocytes.

N(G), N(G)-Dimethyl-L-arginine (asymmetric dimethylarginine: ADMA) is an endogenous competitive inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Plasma ADMA concentrations have been reported to increase in connection with diseases associated with an impaired endothelial L-arginine/NO pathway. In this study, we investigated the metabolism of ADMA in circulating blood cell populations to elucidate the regulatory mechanism of elevation of plasma ADMA, a novel risk factor for cardiovascular disease. We found by RT-PCR and Western blot analyses that protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT)1 and dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH)-1, responsible for the biosynthesis and degradation of ADMA respectively, are expressed in erythrocytes (ECs), leukocytes, and platelets. We also identified a major ADMA-containing protein in ECs as catalase, confirmed by GST-pull down assay to bind to PRMT1 in vitro. This is the first report that the ADMA-metabolizing system, including the arginine methylation of proteins and the breakdown of free ADMA, occurs in circulating blood cell-populations, and that catalase in ECs might be a potential protein targeted by PRMT1.

Gastrointestinal digestion and absorption of Pen j 1, a major allergen from Kuruma prawn, Penaeus japonicus.

Tropomyosin had been identified as a major allergen in shrimp. The digestion and absorption of tropomyosin (Pen j 1) from kuruma prawn were investigated by ex vivo, in vitro, and in vivo techniques in order to elucidate the relationship between the allergenicity of the allergen and its gastrointestinal behavior. Pen j 1 transported the Caco-2 monolayer in a dose-dependent manner, and also enhanced the permeability of lucifer yellow, a marker of paracellular transportation, at high concentrations of the allergen. Studies with everted sacs revealed that Pen j 1 was rapidly degraded to small peptides (MW<3.5 kDa) and amino acids by intestinal proteases and absorbed from enterocytes. Furthermore, Pen j 1 orally administered to rats tended to remain in the stomach rather than in the small intestine, after which the allergen moved to the epithelial cells. These observations suggest that Pen j 1 may be absorbed via the gastric mucosa prior to its digestion in the intestines.

Vascular endothelial-specific dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase-1-deficient mice reveal that vascular endothelium plays an important role in removing asymmetric dimethylarginine.

BACKGROUND: Asymmetrical methylarginines inhibit NO synthase activity and thereby decrease NO production. Dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 1 (DDAH1) degrades asymmetrical methylarginines. We previously demonstrated that in the heart DDAH1 is predominantly expressed in vascular endothelial cells. Because an earlier study showed that mice with global DDAH1 deficiency experienced embryonic lethality, we speculated that a mouse strain with selective vascular endothelial DDAH1 deficiency (endo-DDAH1(-/-)) would largely abolish tissue DDAH1 expression in many tissues but possibly avoid embryonic lethality. METHODS AND RESULTS: By using the LoxP/Cre approach, we generated the endo-DDAH1(-/-) mice. The endo-DDAH1(-/-) mice had no apparent defect in growth or development compared with wild-type littermates. DDAH1 expression was greatly reduced in kidney, lung, brain, and liver, indicating that in these organs DDAH1 is distributed mainly in vascular endothelial cells. The endo-DDAH1(-/-) mice showed a significant increase of asymmetric dimethylarginine concentration in plasma (1.41 micromol/L in the endo-DDAH1(-/-) versus 0.69 micromol/L in the control mice), kidney, lung, and liver, which was associated with significantly increased systolic blood pressure (132 mm Hg versus 113 mm Hg in wild-type). The endo-DDAH1(-/-) mice also exhibited significantly attenuated acetylcholine-induced NO production and vessel relaxation in isolated aortic rings. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that DDAH1 is highly expressed in vascular endothelium and that endothelial DDAH1 plays an important role in regulating blood pressure. In the context that asymmetric methylarginines are broadly produced by many type of cells, the strong DDAH1 expression in vascular endothelium demonstrates for the first time that vascular endothelium can be an important site to actively dispose of toxic biochemical molecules produced by other types of cells.

Functional expression of single-chain antibody to leukotriene C(4).

Leukotriene C(4) (LTC(4)) is synthesized by binding of glutathione to LTA(4), an epoxide derived from arachidonic acid, and further metabolized to LTD(4) and LTE(4). We previously prepared a monoclonal antibody with a high affinity and specificity to LTC(4). To explore the structure of the antigen-binding site of a monoclonal antibody against LTC(4) (mAbLTC), we isolated full-length cDNAs for heavy and light chains of mAbLTC. The heavy and light chains consisted of 461 and 238 amino acids including a signal peptide with molecular weights of 51,089 and 26,340, respectively. An expression plasmid encoding a single-chain antibody comprising variable regions of mAbLTC heavy and light chains (scFvLTC) was constructed and expressed in COS-7 cells. The recombinant scFvLTC showed a high affinity with LTC(4) comparable to mAbLTC. The scFvLTC also bound to LTD(4) and LTE(4) with 48% and 17% reactivities, respectively, as compared with LTC(4) binding, whereas the antibody showed almost no affinity for LTB(4).

Investigation of multiple forms of Tri a Bd 27K, a major wheat allergen, by immunoblotting analysis.

Tri a Bd 27K, a major wheat allergen, is a glycoprotein. Tri a Bd 27K was found to occur in multiple forms by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting with a monoclonal antibody against the allergen. Furthermore, it was found that only Tri a Bd 27K components, which have N-linked glycan moieties with fucose residues, bound to IgE antibodies in the sera of wheat-sensitive patients.

Lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase and egg white cystatin react with IgE antibodies from children with egg allergy.

BACKGROUND: Ovalbumin, ovomucoid, ovotransferrin, lysozyme, and ovomucin are known to be major allergens found in egg white. Egg white protein is composed of over 30 proteins; many of which have neither been identified nor their allergenicities characterized. This study set out to analyze whether unknown proteins that bind to IgE antibodies in serum from patients with egg allergy exist in egg white. METHODS: Diluted egg white proteins were separated by 2-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis. Immunolabeling was performed on individual patient sera from 19 child patients with egg white allergy and 11 negative control subjects. Spots of egg white proteins that bound to the patients' IgE were identified by mass spectrometry-based proteomics. RESULTS: Egg white proteins were separated into 63 spots. Twenty-five of the 63 reacted with egg allergy patients' sera, and 10 of the 25 reactive spots showed IgE-reactivity to controls as well. Specific bindings to the IgE from egg allergy patients were found in 15 spots; one of which was confirmed as ovotransferrin. Among the other 14 protein spots, egg white cystatin and lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase (L-PGDS) were newly identified proteins that reacted with IgE in patients with egg allergy. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that L-PGDS and cystatin reacted with serum IgE in patients with egg allergy. Our proteomics-based analysis in egg white gives a comprehensive map of proteins bound with IgE and should assist in enabling more accurate diagnoses and recommendations of desensitizing treatments for individual patients.

Role of asymmetric dimethylarginine in vascular injury in transgenic mice overexpressing dimethylarginie dimethylaminohydrolase 2.

Dimethylarginie dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH) degrades asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor, and comprises 2 isoforms, DDAH1 and DDAH2. To investigate the in vivo role of DDAH2, we generated transgenic mice overexpressing DDAH2. The transgenic mice manifested reductions in plasma ADMA and elevations in cardiac NO levels but no changes in systemic blood pressure (SBP), compared with the wild-type mice. When infused into wild-type mice for 4 weeks, ADMA elevated SBP and caused marked medial thickening and perivascular fibrosis in coronary microvessels, which were accompanied by ACE protein upregulation and cardiac oxidative stress. The treatment with amlodipine reduced SBP but failed to ameliorate the ADMA-induced histological changes. In contrast, these changes were abolished in transgenic mice, with a reduction in plasma ADMA. In coronary artery endothelial cells, ADMA activated p38 MAP kinase and the ADMA-induced ACE upregulation was suppressed by p38 MAP kinase inhibition by SB203580. In wild-type mice, long-term treatment with angiotensin II increased plasma ADMA and cardiac oxidative stress and caused similar vascular injury. In transgenic mice, these changes were attenuated. The present study suggests that DDAH2/ADMA regulates cardiac NO levels but has modest effect on SBP in normal conditions. Under the circumstances where plasma ADMA are elevated, including angiotensin II-activated conditions, ADMA serves to contribute to the development of vascular injury and increased cardiac oxidative stress, and the overexpression of DDAH2 attenuates these abnormalities. Collectively, the DDAH2/ADMA pathway can be a novel therapeutic target for vasculopathy in the ADMA or angiotensin II-induced pathophysiological conditions.

Involvement of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) in tubulointerstitial ischaemia in the early phase of diabetic nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: Decreased peritubular capillary (PTC) flow due to impaired endothelial function elicits tubulointerstitial ischaemia, thereby enhancing renal damage in chronic kidney disease, including diabetic nephropathy. Since nitric oxide (NO) is a vasodilator and known to play an important role in the maintenance of PTC flow, it is conceivable that asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous inhibitor of NO synthase, may cause tubulointerstitial ischaemia, thus being involved in the progression of diabetic nephropathy. In this study, we investigated whether overexpression of dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH), an enzyme that degrades ADMA, could improve tubulointerstitial ischaemia in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. METHODS: Recombinant adenovirus vector encoding DDAH-I (Adv-DDAH) or control vector expressing bacterial beta-galactosidase (Adv-LZ) was intravenously administrated to diabetic rats. Three days after the treatment, effects of DDAH overexpression on plasma or urinary levels of ADMA or NO metabolites (NOx), tubulointerstitial ischaemia and renal expression of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) were evaluated. RESULTS: Renal DDAH expression and activity were reduced in diabetic rats. Urinary levels of ADMA and TGF-beta were increased, while NOx levels were decreased in diabetic rats. Compared with control rats, pimonidazole-detected hypoxic areas were larger in the kidney of diabetic rats, although the number of capillaries in tubulointerstitial regions was not different between the two groups. In addition, renal expression levels of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and TGF-beta were also increased in diabetic rats. DDAH overexpression significantly inhibited the increase of ADMA and the decrease of NOx and subsequently decreased urinary albumin excretion levels and ameliorated tubulointerstitial hypoxia and HIF-1alpha as well as TGF-beta expression in diabetic rats. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated for the first time that the suppression of ADMA by DDAH overexpression could improve tubulointerstitial ischaemia and subsequent renal damage in experimental diabetic nephropathy. Substitution of DDAH protein or enhancement of its activity may become a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of early diabetic nephropathy.

Preparation and epitope mapping of a monoclonal antibody against Tri a Bd 27K, a major wheat allergen.

We produced a monoclonal antibody (mAb) as a probe for detection of Tri a Bd 27K, a major wheat allergen. The mAb recognized the allergen purified from wheat flour, and the epitope on the allergen to the mAb was determined to be amino acid sequence (154)VPWVVVDGKPL(164) of Tri a Bd 27K. Of the amino acid residues on the epitope, the amino acid residues responsible for the binding to the mAb were found to be W156, D160, G161, and P163.

Isolation and molecular cloning of a major wheat allergen, Tri a Bd 27K.

Tri a Bd 27K is the predominant allergen in wheat. In the present study, this allergen was purified to homogeneity from wheat flour. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of the purified allergen and the peptides obtained by its digestion, with trypsin were determined, and the allergen was shown to be a glycoprotein with an Asn-linked sugar moiety containing fucose residues. A cDNA encoding the allergen was obtained by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The cDNA codes for a protein of 203 amino acid residues, with a molecular mass of 22,803 Da, that has two tentative sites glycosylated at Asn residues. Homology analysis suggested that the allergen might belong to a family of gamma-interferon-inducible thiol reductases. The cDNA was expressed as a fusion protein with glutathione S-transferase in Escherichia coli. However, unlike the allergen purified from wheat, recombinant Tri a Bd 27K was not immunoblotted with IgE antibodies in the serum of a wheat-sensitive patient.

Molecular cloning and allergenicity of Pen j 1, a major allergen of kuruma prawn, Penaeus japonicus.

Tropomyosins have been identified as a common allergen in crustaceans, but their allergenicity is not well understood. In the present study, we isolated an allergen, Pen j 1, a tropomyosin from kuruma prawn Penaeus japonicus, and determined its N-terminal amino acid sequence. The cDNA encoding the allergen was cloned by 5'- and 3'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE), and was found to code for a protein which consists of 284 amino acid residues. Sequencing analyses indicated for the first time that mature tropomyosin is formed by the elimination of a leader peptide of nine amino acid residues. To elucidate the binding sites of IgE antibodies in the sera of shrimp-sensitive patients, various recombinant peptides were expressed in Escherichia coli as fusion proteins with glutathione S-transferase (GST), and the examined with regard to reactivity with IgE antibodies. The IgE-binding epitopes were found to locate over the whole sequence of the allergen, and the IgE antibodies in the sera were found to recognize strongly its C-terminal region.