Identification of a New Allergen from Amaranthus retroflexus Pollen, Ama r 2

• Main Authors: Mohsen Tehrani, Mojtaba Sankian, Mohammad Ali Assarehzadegan, Reza Falak, Reihaneh Noorbakhsh, Maliheh Moghadam, Farahzad Jabbari, Abdolreza Varasteh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2011-01-01
• Series: Allergology International
• Subjects: allergen characterization; Ama r 2; Amaranthus retroflexus; cloning; profilin
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1323893015305335

Background: Pollinosis from Amaranthus retroflexus pollen is a common cause of respiratory allergy in Iran with a high positive rate (68.8%) among Iranian allergic patients. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the allergenicity of the A. retroflexus pollen profilin. Methods: Using sera from twelve patients allergic to A. retroflexus pollen, IgE-binding proteins from the A. retroflexus pollen extract was identified by immunoblotting. The cDNA of A. retroflexus pollen profilin was amplified, then cloned into the pET-21b (+) vector, expressed in Escherichia coli, and finally purified by metal affinity chromatography. The IgE-binding capacity of the recombinant protein was then analyzed by the ELISA, immunoblotting, and inhibition assays, as well as by the skin prick test (SPT). Results: Immunoblotting results indicated a 14.6 kDa protein with IgE-reactivity to 33% (4/12) among A. retroflexus pollen-allergic patients. Nucleotide sequencing of the cDNA revealed an open reading frame of 399 bp encoding for 133 amino acid residues which was belonged to the profilin family and designated as Ama r 2. A recombinant Ama r 2 (rAma r 2) was then produced in E. coli as a soluble protein which showed a strong IgEreactivity via ELISA confirmed by the SPT. Inhibition experiments revealed high IgE cross-reactivities with the profilins from other plants. Conclusions: The profilin from the A. retroflexus pollen, Ama r 2, was firstly identified as an allergen. Moreover, rAma r 2 was produced in E. coli as a soluble immunoreactive protein with an IgE-reactivity similar to that of its natural counterpart.