Sequence analysis and antigenic cross-reactivity of a venom allergen, antigen 5, from hornets, wasps, and yellow jackets

• Published in: The Journal of immunology (1950) Vol. 150; no. 7; pp. 2823 - 2830
• Main Authors: Lu, G, Villalba, M, Coscia, MR, Hoffman, DR, King, TP
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Am Assoc Immnol 01.04.1993; American Association of Immunologists
• Subjects: Allergens - chemistry; Allergens - genetics; Allergens - immunology; Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Antigens, allergens; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Cross Reactions; Dolichovespula arenaria; Dolichovespula maculata; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Hymenoptera; Immediate hypersensitivity. Allergy. Anaphylaxis, etc; Immunobiology; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Molecular Sequence Data; Polistes annularis; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Vespidae; Vespula maculifrons; Vespula vulgaris; Wasp Venoms - genetics; Wasp Venoms - immunology; Wasp Venoms - isolation & purification; Wasps - immunology; Vespula; Insecta; Rodentia; Sequence alignment; Homology; Dolichovespula; Polistes; Vertebrata; Conserved sequence; Mammalia; Gene; Immunogenicity; Mouse; Arthropoda; Venom; Cross reaction; Vespidae; Hymenoptera; Invertebrata; Molecular cloning; Comparative study; Aminoacid sequence; Aculeata; Allergen
• ISSN: 0022-1767; 1550-6606
• DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.150.7.2823

Ag 5 is a major allergen of vespid venom. The complete amino acid sequences of Ag 5 from two species each of hornets (Dolichovespula arenaria and maculata), wasps (Polistes annularis and exclamans), and yellow jackets (Vespula maculifrons and vulgaris) have been determined by amino acid sequencing and/or cDNA cloning. The sequence data reveal several conserved and variable regions for vespid Ag 5. The conserved regions show greater sequence similarity than do the less conserved regions to a family of proteins from human, mouse, and rat testis and to a class of pathogenesis-related proteins from tobacco and tomato leaves. Tests in the murine system for both T and B cell responses demonstrate a high degree of cross-reactivity of hornet Ag 5 with wasp or yellow jacket Ag 5 and a low degree of cross-reactivity of yellow jacket Ag 5 with wasp Ag 5. This pattern of cross-reactivity is in the same order as their sequence similarity.