Lipid transfer protein (Ara h 9) as a new peanut allergen relevant for a Mediterranean allergic population

• Published in: Journal of allergy and clinical immunology Vol. 124; no. 4; pp. 771 - 778.e5
• Main Authors: Krause, Susanne, Reese, Gerald, Randow, Stefanie, Zennaro, Danila, Quaratino, Donato, Palazzo, Paola, Ciardiello, Maria Antonietta, Petersen, Arnd, Becker, Wolf-Meinhard, Mari, Adriano
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Mosby, Inc 01.10.2009; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: 2S Albumins, Plant - immunology; 2S Albumins, Plant - metabolism; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; allergen; Allergens - immunology; Allergens - metabolism; Allergic diseases; Allergies; Allergy and Immunology; Antigens, Plant - immunology; Antigens, Plant - metabolism; Ara h 9; Arachis - immunology; Arachis hypogaea; Biological and medical sciences; Carrier Proteins - immunology; Carrier Proteins - isolation & purification; Carrier Proteins - metabolism; Chemical bonds; Child; Cross Reactions - immunology; Digestive allergic diseases; Female; Food; Food allergies; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Glycoproteins - immunology; Glycoproteins - metabolism; Humans; Immunoglobulin E - blood; Immunopathology; isoform; lipid transfer protein; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; peanut allergy; Peanut Hypersensitivity - immunology; Peanut Hypersensitivity - metabolism; Peanuts; Plant Proteins - immunology; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Protein Isoforms - immunology; Protein Isoforms - metabolism; Proteins; Prunus; Sarcoidosis. Granulomatous diseases of unproved etiology. Connective tissue diseases. Elastic tissue diseases. Vasculitis; Seed Storage Proteins - immunology; Seed Storage Proteins - metabolism; Young Adult; peanut allergy; allergen; IUIS; Ara h 9; rAra h 9; SPHIAa; nAra h 9; LTP; lipid transfer protein; isoform; ISAC; Recombinant Ara h 9; Immuno solid-phase allergen chip; International Union of Immunological Societies; Single point highest inhibition achievable assay; Natural Ara h 9; Human; Food allergy; Peanut; Immunopathology; Molecular form; Immunology; Lipid transfer protein; Digestive diseases; Groundnut; Allergen
• ISSN: 0091-6749; 1097-6825; 1097-6825
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2009.06.008

Nonspecific lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) represent potent pollen and food allergens. However, the allergenic properties of peanut LTP have not been studied. To identify LTP in peanut extract using sera from subjects with peanut allergy and Pru p 3–sensitized subjects from Southern Europe, clone and express this protein, and obtain information on the importance as allergen for these selected patients. Peanut LTP (Ara h 9) was cloned and sequenced by using a combination of bioinformatic and molecular biology tools (PCR, immunoblotting, Basic Local Alignment Search Tool [BLAST] searches). The immunologic properties of Ara h 9, Ara h 1, Ara h 2, and Ara h 3 were studied by using sera from subjects with peanut and peach allergy from Italy by immunoblotting and allergen microarray technology. Two Ara h 9 isoforms—Ara h 9.01 and Ara h 9.02—were cloned and expressed. Ara h 9 represented a minor allergen for subjects with peanut allergy. However, including Ara h 9 as single component for serologic detection of sensitization to peanut by component-resolved diagnosis seems crucial, because the frequency of sensitization to the classic major peanut allergens Ara h 1, Ara h 2, and Ara h 3 was low in these patients from Southern Europe. Ara h 9 is a new member of the LTP allergen family that seems to play an important role in peanut allergy for patients from the Mediterranean area.