Acid-induced polymerization of the group 5 mite allergen from Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus. |
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Authors: | S H Liaw H Z Chen G G Liu K Y Chua |
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Affiliation: | Department of Life Science, National Yang-Ming University, 155 Li-Nong Street, Sec. 2, Taipei, Taiwan. shliaw@ym.edu.tw |
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Abstract: | House dust mites are the most important source of indoor allergens and cause allergic diseases. Our studies here suggest that the group 5 allergen from Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p 5) is monomeric at neutral pH, but forms filaments at low pH. Circular dichroism measurements show Der p 5 is a helical protein, and the protein sequence reveals Der p 5 contains coiled-coil helices. The acid-induced filament assembly could be explained in part by the high content of charged residues (40%) in the coiled-coil structure. Interestingly, some of the known Dermatophagoides allergens also contain a heptad repeat, which could potentially form coiled coils. Therefore, coiled-coil helices may be one of the common structural motifs of mite allergens that contribute to their allergenicity. |
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