The vacuolar serine protease, a cross-reactive allergen from Cladosporium herbarum.

Subtilisin-like serine proteases make up one of the most important allergen-families regarding the number of individual allergens. Previously, fungal subtilisin-like serine proteases have been identified from Aspergillus-, Penicillium-, and Trichophyton-species having a prevalence of IgE-reactivity between 33% and 80%. Since IgE-cross-reactivity is a common phenomenon within fungal species we wanted to know whether this protein also represents an allergen in Cladosporium herbarum. Hence, a screening of a C. herbarum cDNA library was performed using the coding sequence of the Penicillium oxalicum vacuolar serine protease (Pen o 18) as hybridization probe, ending up with a full-length clone. Biochemical and immunological characterization of this clone revealed that C. herbarum vacuolar serine protease most likely is synthesized as a precursor with an N-terminal pro-enzyme sequence and represents a minor allergen (Cla h 9) with a prevalence of IgE-reactivity of 15.5%. Furthermore Cla h 9 specifically reacted with the two monoclonal antibodies FUM20 and PCM39, as do the vacuolar serine proteases from Aspergillus fumigatus and Penicillium species. Investigation of IgE-cross-reactivity between Cla h 9 and other fungal serine proteases revealed that cross-reactivity is higher between vacuolar than alkaline serine proteases. IgE-epitope mapping of Cla h 9 was done in order to test whether four Cla h 9-peptides having a high sequence homology to previously determined Pen ch 18-IgE-epitopes also harbour IgE-epitopes. Three-dimensional models of the vacuolar serine proteases from C. herbarum and Penicillium chrysogenum were generated for the three-dimensional localization of the Cla h 9- and Pen ch 18- IgE-reactive and -non-reactive peptides. Taken together a new C. herbarum allergen has been identified, which may be useful in a molecule-based approach of C. herbarum allergy-diagnosis and -therapy. Moreover, Cla h 9 represents a further member of the subtilisin-like serine protease allergen-family, which stresses the importance of these proteins with respect to fungal IgE-cross-reactivity.

The spectrum of fungal allergy.

Fungi can be found throughout the world. They may live as saprophytes, parasites or symbionts of animals and plants in indoor as well as outdoor environment. For decades, fungi belonging to the ascomycota as well as to the basidiomycota have been known to cause a broad panel of human disorders. In contrast to pollen, fungal spores and/or mycelial cells may not only cause type I allergy, the most prevalent disease caused by molds, but also a large number of other illnesses, including allergic bronchopulmonary mycoses, allergic sinusitis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and atopic dermatitis; and, again in contrast to pollen-derived allergies, fungal allergies are frequently linked with allergic asthma. Sensitization to molds has been reported in up to 80% of asthmatic patients. Although research on fungal allergies dates back to the 19th century, major improvements in the diagnosis and therapy of mold allergy have been hampered by the fact that fungal extracts are highly variable in their protein composition due to strain variabilities, batch-to-batch variations, and by the fact that extracts may be prepared from spores and/or mycelial cells. Nonetheless, about 150 individual fungal allergens from approximately 80 mold genera have been identified in the last 20 years. First clinical studies with recombinant mold allergens have demonstrated their potency in clinical diagnosis. This review aims to give an overview of the biology of molds and diseases caused by molds in humans, as well as a detailed summary of the latest results on recombinant fungal allergens.

Cladosporium herbarum translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) is an IgE-binding antigen and is associated with disease severity.

Cladosporium herbarum represents one of the most important world-wide occurring allergenic fungal species. The prevalence of IgE reactivity to C. herbarum in patients suffering from allergy varies between 5 and 30% in the different climatic zones. Since mold allergy has often been associated with severe asthma, along with other allergic symptoms, it is important to define more comprehensively the allergen repertoire of this ascomycete. In this context we are reporting our successful approach to identify, clone, produce as a recombinant protein, purify and further characterize a new C. herbarum allergen which is a close homolog of the human translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP, also called histamine releasing factor, HRF). The immunoreactivity of both pure recombinant molecules was investigated by means of immunoblot analyses, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays as well as histamine release studies. To summarize, IgE antibodies from five out of nine individuals recognized both the human and the fungal protein in immunoblots. The latter was able to cause histamine release from human basophils with about half the efficiency compared to its human homolog HRF. Cross-inhibition assays showed that the patients' IgEs recognize common epitopes on both the human and C. herbarum proteins, but however, only pre-incubation with C. herbarum TCTP could completely inhibit reactivity with HRF. Furthermore, it appears that patients reactive to TCTP have a higher probability to suffer from asthma than other allergic patients.