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Protein & Peptide Letters
ISSN: 0929-8665
Protein & Peptide Letters
Volume 14, Number 10, 2007
Contents
Household Arthropods and Their Allergens
Guest Editor: Kyoung Yong Jeong
Editorial Pp. 933
K.Y. Jeong
Domestic Arthropods and Their Allergens Pp.
934-942
K.Y. Jeong, C.-S. Hong and T.-S. Yong
[Abstract]
Pyroglyphid House Dust Mite Allergens Pp.
943-953
W.R. Thomas, T.K. Heinrich, W.-A. Smith and B.J. Hales
[Abstract]
Molecular and Biochemical Properties of Storage Mites
(Except Blomia species) Pp. 954-959
E. Fernández-Caldas, V. Iraola and J. Carnés
[Abstract]
Cockroach Allergens: Function, Structure and Allergenicity
Pp. 960-969
A. Pomés, S. Wünschmann, J. Hindley, L.D.
Vailes and M.D. Chapman
[Abstract]
Biochemical and Molecular Biological Aspects of Silverfish
Allergens Pp. 970-974
B. Barletta, G. Di Felice and C. Pini
[Abstract]
Mosquito Allergy and Mosquito Salivary Allergens
Pp. 975-981
Z. Peng, F. Estelle and R. Simons
[Abstract]
Allergy to Miscellaneous Household Arthropods
Pp. 982-991
C.-W. Kim and C.-S. Hong
[Abstract]
Recombinant Proteins and Peptides as Diagnostic and
Therapeutic Reagents for Arthropod Allergies Pp.
992-1002
J. Donnie A. Ramos , G.R. Valmonte and R.M. de Guia
[Abstract]
General Articles
Regular Papers
Antimicrobial and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of
a Leu/Lys-Rich Antimicrobial Peptide with Phe-Peptoid Residues
Pp. 1003-1007
Y.H. Nan, K.H. Park, Y.J. Jeon, Y. Park, I.-S. Park, K.-S.
Hahm and S.Y. Shin
[Abstract]
Isolation and Partial Characterization of A ?-Glucuronidase
of the Mollusk Pomacea sp Pp. 1008-1013
M.L.L. de Andrade, V.D. de Morais and J.F. de Sousa Filho
[Abstract]
Conjugation of Resveratrol with RGD and KGD Derivatives
Pp. 1014-1020
C. Koutsas, Y. Sarigiannis, G. Stavropoulos and M. Liakopoulou
Kyriakides
[Abstract]
Spectroscopic and Functional Characterization of Human
β-Synuclein
Pp. 1021-1026
J. Lee, H. Hwang and T.D. Kim
[Abstract]
Effects of Some Metal Ions on Human Erythrocyte Glutathione
Reductase: An In Vitro Study Pp. 1027-1030
T.A. Coban, M. Senturk, M. Ciftci and O.I. Kufrevioglu
[Abstract]
Expression and Purification of CB2 for NMR Studies
in Micellar Solution Pp. 1031-1037
D. Krepkiy, K. Gawrisch and A. Yeliseev
[Abstract]
Crystallization Report
Crystallization and X-Ray Analysis of Rhodothermus
marinus Cytochrome c at 1.23 Å Resolution
Pp. 1038-1040
M. Stelter, A.M.P. Melo, L.M. Saraiva, M. Teixeira and
M. Archer
[Abstract]
Abstracts
[Back to top]
Editorial
K.Y. Jeong
Small insects pose certain health hazards in households. For
example, the ingestion of fresh vegetables containing small
worms and eggs can lead to the transmission and spreading
of diseases. Therefore pest control is an integral component
of successful crop production. Even the dead bodies and excreted
materials of infesting arthropods have an impact on our lives;
the number of patients suffering from allergic diseases due
to arthropod allergens is continuously increasing.
A number of arthropod allergens have been identified and characterized
during the last two decades and many studies are in progress
to identify new allergens. The World Health Organization and
the International Union of Immunological Societies Allergen
Nomenclature Subcommittee, which is maintained by several
experts in the field, provide systematic nomenclature and
assistance for the clear identification of allergens. Investigators
who identify new allergens should submit the data to the official
web site (http://www.allergen.org). One can also access current
references and a list of allergen sources from the allergome
(http://www.allergome.org). Our goal is to gain valuable insights
on allergens from this wealth of information in order to improve
the indoor environment for patients with allergies.
I had the honorable opportunity to organize a Hot Topic issue
for Protein and Peptide Letters and to work with experts to
review allergens from domestic arthropods. This issue includes
articles on the following topics: domestic arthropod allergens
written by myself, house dust mite allergens written by Dr.
Wayne R. Thomas, allergens of Blomia tropicalis,
a dominant species of storage mite in tropical and subtropical
regions written by Dr. Kaw Yan Chua (this article is published
separately: PPL; 2007: 14 (4): 325-333), storage mite allergens
written by Dr. Enrique Fernandez-Caldas, cockroach allergens
written by Dr. Anna Pomes, silverfish allergens written by
Dr. Bianca Barletta, mosquito salivary allergens written by
Zhikang Peng, other allergens from miscellaneous arthropods
written by Dr. Cheol Woo Kim and the application of recombinant
allergens for the diagnosis and immunotherapy of allergic
diseases written by Dr. John Donnie A. Ramos. I hope that
readers enjoy these topics and that the ideas and information
available here contribute to their own research.
Kyoung Yong Jeong
Guest Editor
Protein & Peptide Letters
Department of Environmental Medical Biology and
Institute of Tropical Medicine
Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science
Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul
Korea
E-mail: jeongky@paran.com
[Back to top]
Domestic Arthropods and Their Allergens
K.Y. Jeong, C.-S. Hong and T.-S. Yong
Allergy prevalence has increased worldwide over the last 25
years along with industrialization and westernized lifestyles.
Indoor allergens are primarily responsible for the sensitization
and development of atopic diseases. The main indoor allergens
are known to be derived from various arthropods which account
for up to 80% of the kingdom Animalia. The two classes of
arthropods are Insecta, which includes cockroaches, flies,
mosquitoes, ants and silverfishes, and Arachnida, which includes
mites, spiders, ticks, and scorpions and are the main sources
of the allergens. Excreted materials, cast-overs from skin-molting,
and dead debris are sources of allergens that can sensitize
genetically predisposed individuals and elicit allergic disorders.
The use of molecular biology techniques has contributed to
the identification and characterization of an ever-increasing
number of allergens. However, key determinants and allergen
properties that drive allergic responses are poorly understood.
The biological characterization of allergens will provide
an understanding of the pathogenesis of allergic diseases
and contribute to the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic
approaches.
[Back to top]
Pyroglyphid House Dust Mite Allergens
W.R. Thomas, T.K. Heinrich, W.-A. Smith and B.J. Hales
Mites of the family Pyroglyphidae are the most important source
of house dust mite allergens. A small number of allergens,
namely those of groups 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7 constitute the known
major and mid-potency specificities, with possible important
contributions of the groups 11, 14 and 15 requiring further
definition. Most of the allergens can be identified by sequence
homologies and the structures of the major allergens have
been solved. There are however challenges in determining the
nature of the group 5 and 7 allergens and in obtaining detailed
structures of the significant allergens to be used for genetic
engineering.
[Back to top]
Molecular and Biochemical Properties of Storage Mites
(Except Blomia species)
E. Fernández-Caldas, V. Iraola and J. Carnés
In recent years, the allergological importance of different
mite species not belonging to the family Pyroglyphidae has
been demonstrated. These mites, commonly named storage mites,
include Lepidoglyphus destructor, Glycyphagus domesticus,
Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Acarus siro, Aleuroglyphus
ovatus, Suidasia medanensis and Thyreophagus entomophagus.
Several allergens from these species have been purified, sequenced
and cloned. Many of these allergens have shown sequence homology
and a biological function similar to those previously described
in Blomia tropicalis and the Dermatophagoides
spp. The main allergens described in storage mites include
fatty acid binding proteins, tropomysin and paramyosin homologues,
apoliphorine like proteins, alfa-tubulines and other, such
as group 2, 5 and 7 allergens, which definitive biological
function has not been described yet. Besides the purification
and characterization of allergens, the aller-genicity of other
species such as Acarus farris, Austroglycyphagus malaysiensis,
Blomia kulagini and B. tjibodas, Cheyletus eruditus,
Chortoglyphus arcuatus, Gohieria fusca, Thyreophagus entomophagus
and Tyrophagus longior has been investigated. Research
has also been conducted to identify allergens in parasitic
mites, such as Psoroptes ovis, Sarcoptes scabiei, Varroa
jacobsoni, Diplaegidia columbae and Hemisarcoptes
cooremani. The allergenicity of mites present in agricultural
environments has been investigated. Crossreactivity studies
have also been performed to elucidate to what extent all these
mites share common, or species specific epitopes. Herein we
present a comprehensive review of the allergenicity of mite
species which have been implicated in human respiratory and/or
dermatological diseases.
[Back to top]
Cockroach Allergens: Function, Structure and Allergenicity
A. Pomés, S. Wünschmann, J. Hindley, L.D.
Vailes and M.D. Chapman
Cockroach allergy is a widespread health problem in the world,
associated with the development of asthma. The German and
American cockroach species are important producers of a wide
variety of allergens. Knowledge of their structure and function
contributes to understand their role in allergy and to design
tools for diagnosis and immunotherapy.
[Back to top]
Biochemical and Molecular Biological Aspects of Silverfish
Allergens
B. Barletta, G. Di Felice and C. Pini
Insects and insect-derived materials have been implicated
as a risk factor for sensitization and subsequent elicitation
of allergic rhinitis and allergic bronchial asthma. During
the last decades, insects other than those known as allergenic,
were investigated for their potential role in inducing and
triggering an IgE immune response. Among these, the silverfish,
an insect belonging to the Thysanura order, appeared to be
of particular interest. Silverfish (Lepisma saccharina)
is the most primitive living insect, and represents a descendent
of the ancestral wingless insects. They are 3–12 mm
long, have three tail feelers and are covered with shiny scales.
They shun light and need a humid environment and their diet
consists of carbohydrate materials such as paper and book-binding
glue, crumbs of bread and flour. Because of these features,
silverfish finds an optimal habitat both in dwellings and
workplaces and in spite of its antiquity, silverfish has succeeded
in exploiting the new opportunity created by man.
Although its importance significantly increased when it has
been demonstrated that house dust contains significant silver-fish
levels even in houses where the inhabitants were unaware of
its presence, no silverfish extract for diagnosis of allergic
diseases is commercially available yet.
Identification of optimal extraction conditions and characterization
of allergenic extracts are the first steps to obtain an effective
allergen preparation suitable for diagnosis and therapy, and
will be useful as a reference preparation for assessing silverfish
exposure in different indoor environments.
It has been cloned and characterized a silverfish tropomyosin,
named Lep s 1, which represents the first allergen identified
in silverfish extract and can be regarded as a molecule cross-reactive
among inhalant and edible invertebrates allergenic sources.
rLep s 1 displayed biological activity, suggesting that it
could be regarded as a useful tool to study the role of silverfish
tropomyosin in the sensitization to invertebrate allergic
sources.
[Back to top]
Mosquito Allergy and Mosquito Salivary Allergens
Z. Peng, F. Estelle and R. Simons
Allergic reactions to mosquito bites are caused by allergens
in mosquito saliva. In this review, allergic reactions to
mosquito salivary allergens, and characteristics of salivary
allergens and their recombinant forms are described. The use
of the recombinant allergens in the diagnosis of mosquito
allergy is discussed.
[Back to top]
Allergy to Miscellaneous Household Arthropods
C.-W. Kim and C.-S. Hong
Of the various arthropods, humans have the greatest contact
with mites and cockroaches, and as a result, allergies to
these two groups have been the most frequently reported. Changes
in lifestyle and living environment have encouraged the growth
of arthropods other than mites and cockroaches, and consequently,
human exposure to antigens derived from the new arthropods
has increased. Although systematic approaches to and immunobiochemical
studies of these arthropods are relatively sparse compared
with those of mites and cockroaches, recent reports have shown
that many species of household arthropods can elicit IgE-mediated
reactions via inhalation, biting, or stinging. In this chapter,
we review the other arthropods that can induce allergic reaction
to human beings. Where the information exists, the frequency
of sensitivity and clinical manifestation, and the characterization
of the allergens are also reviewed. Virtually all species
of arthropods may be sources of allergens that can sensitize
and induce IgE-mediated allergic reactions in humans.
[Back to top]
Recombinant Proteins and Peptides as Diagnostic and
Therapeutic Reagents for Arthropod Allergies
J. Donnie A. Ramos , G.R. Valmonte and R.M. de Guia
Domestic arthropods are chief sources of potent allergens
that trigger sensitization and stimulate IgE-mediated allergies.
Diagnosis and immunotherapy of arthropod allergies rely on
the use of natural allergen extracts which are associated
with low specificity and efficacy, the risk of anaphylactic
reactions, and the extended period of treatment. Most of the
problems associated with natural allergen extracts for allergy
diagnosis and immunotherapy can be circumvented with the use
of recombinant allergens and peptides. Recombinant allergens
are recently developed for microarray-based multi-allergen
tests which provide component-resolved diagnosis (CRD) of
the patient’s sensitization profile. Moreover, recombinant
protein technology and peptide chemistry have been used to
construct isoallergens, allergen mutants, allergoids, T and
B cell peptides, hypoallergens, and mimotopes with reduced
allergenicity but enhanced immunogenicity for allergen-specific
immunotherapy (SIT) and vaccination. The basics of recombinant
arthropod allergen technology are in place providing a lucid
future for the advancement of diagnosis and immunotherapy
of arthropod allergies.
[Back to top]
Antimicrobial and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of
a Leu/Lys-Rich Antimicrobial Peptide with Phe-Peptoid Residues
Y.H. Nan, K.H. Park, Y.J. Jeon, Y. Park, I.-S. Park, K.-S.
Hahm and S.Y. Shin
To develop a novel cell-selective antimicrobial peptide with
potent anti-inflammatory activity as well as high bacterial
cell selectivity, we synthesized a Leu/Lys-rich model peptide,
KLW-f (KWKKLLKKfLKLfKKLLK-NH2)
containing two Phe-peptoid residues in its middle position.
KLW-f exhibited high antimicrobial activity (the MIC range:
0.5~
2.0μM)
against the tested six bacterial cells. In contrast, KLW-f
was no cytotoxic to human red blood cells and HeLa and NIH-3T3
cells. KLW-f caused no or little dye leakage from EYPE/EYPG
(7:3, w/w) vesicles (bacterial membrane-mimicking environments),
indicating its bacterial-killing action is probably not due
to permeabilization/disruption of bacterial cytoplasmic membranes.
Furthermore, KLW-f induced a significant inhibition in LPS-stimulated
NO production from mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells at 10μg/ml.
Taken together, our results suggest that KLW-f appear to have
promising therapeutic potential for future development as
a novel antisepsis agent as well as antimicrobial agent.
[Back to top]
Isolation and Partial Characterization of A ?-Glucuronidase
of the Mollusk Pomacea sp
M.L.L. de Andrade, V.D. de Morais and J.F. de Sousa Filho
This paper studies the β-glucuronidase
in the mollusk Pomacea sp. The β-glucuronidase
was isolated 206-fold with a 1,5% yield and the cinetc parameters
was: pH 5.0, 65°C, Km
of 72 x 10-2 mM and molecular
mass of 116 kDa. HPLC confirmed the purity. BaCl2
increased β-glucuronidase
activity and SDS and NaH2PO4
inhibited completely.
[Back to top]
Conjugation of Resveratrol with RGD and KGD Derivatives
C. Koutsas, Y. Sarigiannis, G. Stavropoulos and M. Liakopoulou
Kyriakides
The reaction between Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) and Lys-Gly-Asp (KGD)
derivatives with 3,4?,5-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene (resveratrol)
was investigated. Knowing that resveratrol, RGD as well as
KGD analogues inhibit human platelet aggregation in vitro,
it was tempting for us to examine whether their coupling products
present enhanced biological activity. Here, we report on the
synthesis and identification of these coupling products. The
N-protected peptides were synthesized by solid phase technique,
using the 2-chlorotrityl-chloride resin, by the method of
carbodiimides. Coupling reactions with resveratrol took place
in solution using N,N-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) as coupling
reagent and 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) as catalyst. The
reaction products were purified by reversed phase HPLC and
identified by ESI-MS. The mono-esterified resveratrol derivative
was the main (or only) reaction product, whereas the di- and
the tri-ester (to a less extent) formation was noticed in
some cases.
[Back to top]
Spectroscopic and Functional Characterization of Human
β-Synuclein
J. Lee, H. Hwang and T.D. Kim
To elucidate potential biological roles of human β-synuclein,
we studied its conformational changes under various conditions.
The structural and functional properties of β-synuclein
were characterized using biochemical and bio-physical methods
including: a functional assay, mass spectrometry, size exclusion
chromatography, circular dichroism (CD), and fluorescence
spectroscopy. The results showed β-synuclein
has a high proportion of random coil in solution.
[Back to top]
Effects of Some Metal Ions on Human Erythrocyte Glutathione
Reductase: An In Vitro Study
T.A. Coban, M. Senturk, M. Ciftci and O.I. Kufrevioglu
In this study, we investigated inhibitory effects of some
metal ions on human erythrocyte glutathione reductase. For
this purpose, initially human erythrocyte glutathione reductase
was purified 1051-fold in a yield of 41% by using 2', 5'-ADP
Sepharose 4B affinity gel and Sephadex G-200 gel filtration
chromatography. SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was
done in order to control the purification of enzyme. SDS polyacrylamide
gel electrophoresis showed a single band for enzyme. A constant
temperature (4°C) was maintained during the purification
process. Enzyme activity was determined with the Beutler method
by using a spectrophotometer at 340 nm. Hg2+,
Cd2+, Pb2+,
Cu2+, Fe3+
and Al3+ exhibited inhibitory
effects on the enzyme in vitro.
Ki constants and IC50 values
for metal ions were determined by Lineweaver-Burk graphs and
plotting activity % vs. [I]. IC50
values of Pb2+, Hg2+,
Cu2+, Cd2+
, Fe3+ and Al3+
were 0.011, 0.020, 0.0252, 0.0373, 0.209 and 0.229 mM, and
the Ki constants 0.0254±0.0027, 0.0378±0.0043,
0.0409±0.0048, 0.0558±0.0083, 0.403±0.043
and 1.137±0.2 mM, respectively. While Pb2+,
Hg2+, Cd2+
and Fe3+ showed competitive
inhibition, others displayed noncompetitive inhibition.
[Back to top]
Expression and Purification of CB2 for NMR Studies
in Micellar Solution
D. Krepkiy, K. Gawrisch and A. Yeliseev
We demonstrate feasibility of biophysical characterization
of the peripheral cannabinoid receptor CB2 produced by heterologous
expression in E. coli membranes. Recombinant receptor
was purified by affinity chromatography, and NMR diffusion
experiments performed on CB2 solubilized in dodecylphosphocholine
(DPC) micelles. Circular dichroism spectroscopy indicated
high α-helical
content (49 %) of CB2.
[Back to top]
Crystallization and X-Ray Analysis of Rhodothermus
marinus Cytochrome c at 1.23 Å Resolution
M. Stelter, A.M.P. Melo, L.M. Saraiva, M. Teixeira and
M. Archer
Cytochrome c from Rhodothermus marinus has been crystallized
using the hanging-drop vapor-diffusion method in 30 % (w/v)
polyethylene glycol 8K, 0.2 M ammonium sulfate, 8 % hexanediol
and 50 mM sodium citrate pH 2.2. The crystals belong to space
group P21. X-ray diffraction
data were collected to 1.23 Å resolution using synchrotron
radiation and a wavelength of 0.93 Å.
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