Cloning and expression of Aca f 1: a new allergen of Acacia farnesiana pollen

Acacia farnesiana is the main source of allergenic pollen and one of the most important causes of respiratory allergic disease in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The purpose of this study was to produce a recombinant variety of allergenic Ole e 1-like protein from the pollen of this tree. To predict its allergenic cross-reactivity with other members of the Ole e 1-like protein family of common allergenic plants, the nucleotide sequence homology of the Acacia Ole e 1-like protein was evaluated. Amplification of cDNA strands encoding Acacia Ole e 1-like protein was performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequenced. Following expression in Escherichia coli using the pET-21b(+) vector, the recombinant protein was purified using metal-affinity chromatography. IgE-binding competence of purified recombinant Ole e 1- like protein (rAca f 1) was analysed by immunoassay using 25 sera collected from Acacia pollen-sensitised patients. Nucleotide sequencing revealed an open reading frame of 453 bp encoding 150 amino acid residues that belonged to the Ole e 1-like protein family, and 11 patients (44%) had considerable specific IgE levels for the rAca f 1. Immunodetection and inhibition assays indicated that the purified rAca f 1 may be the same as that in the crude extract. Aca f 1, the second allergen from Acacia pollen, was identified as a member of the family of Ole e 1-like protein. A high degree of homology was found among amino acid sequences of Aca f 1 and several allergenic members of Ole e 1-like protein family.