HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Midoro-Horiuti, T. Articles by Brooks, E. G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Midoro-Horiuti, T. Articles by Brooks, E. G.

Variable Expression of Pathogenesis-Related Protein Allergen in Mountain Cedar (Juniperus ashei) Pollen¹

Terumi Midoro-Horiuti^*, Randall M. Goldblum^*,, Alexander Kurosky, Thomas G. Wood and Edward G. Brooks^2,*

^* Department of Pediatrics, Child Health Research Center, Department of Human Biological Chemistry and Genetics, and Sealy Center for Molecular Science, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555

Allergic diseases have been increasing in industrialized countries. The environment is thought to have both direct and indirect modulatory effects on disease pathogenesis, including alterating on the allergenicity of pollens. Certain plant proteins known as pathogenesis-related proteins appear to be up-regulated by certain environmental conditions, including pollutants, and some have emerged as important allergens. Thus, the prospect of environmentally regulated expression of plant-derived allergens becomes yet another potential environmental influence on allergic disease. We have identified a novel pathogenesis-related protein allergen, Jun a 3, from mountain cedar (Juniperus ashei) pollen. The serum IgE from patients with hypersensitivity to either mountain cedar or Japanese cedar were shown to bind to native and recombinant Jun a 3 in Western blot analysis and ELISA. Jun a 3 is homologous to members of the thaumatin-like pathogenesis-related (PR-5) plant protein family. The amounts of Jun a 3 extracted from mountain cedar pollen varied up to 5-fold in lots of pollen collected from the same region in different years and between different regions during the same year. Thus, Jun a 3 may contribute not only to the overall allergenicity of mountain cedar pollen, but variable levels of Jun a 3 may alter the allergenic potency of pollens produced under different environmental conditions.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. A. Trevino, M. F. Garcia-Mayoral, P. Barral, M. Villalba, J. Santoro, M. Rico, R. Rodriguez, and M. Bruix NMR Solution Structure of Ole e 6, a Major Allergen from Olive Tree Pollen J. Biol. Chem., September 10, 2004; 279(37): 39035 - 39041. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]