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Aspergillus and Penicillium allergens: focus on proteases

Horng-Der Shen1, Ming F Tam, Ren-Bin Tang

  • 1Department of Medical Research and Education, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Shih-Pai, Taipei, 11217, Taiwan. hdshen@vghtpe.gov.tw

Current Allergy and Asthma Reports
|August 19, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Airborne fungi like Penicillium and Aspergillus release serine proteases that trigger allergic reactions. These fungal allergens cause cross-reactivity and inflammation, impacting asthma and airway diseases.

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Immunology
  • Allergology

Background:

  • Penicillium and Aspergillus are common airborne fungi.
  • Alkaline and/or vacuolar serine proteases are identified as major allergens in these fungi.
  • These proteases are also key allergens in Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and Cladosporium cladosporioides.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and characterize major airborne fungal allergens.
  • To investigate IgE cross-reactivity among fungal serine proteases.
  • To understand the mechanisms of allergic airway inflammation induced by these allergens.

Main Methods:

  • Allergen identification and characterization.
  • Immunoglobulin E (IgE) cross-reactivity studies.
  • In vitro assays assessing histamine release, tight junction protein degradation, and inflammatory mediator release.
  • In vivo studies on immune responses.

Main Results:

  • Alkaline and/or vacuolar serine proteases are major allergens across several fungal species.
  • Significant IgE cross-reactivity exists among these pan-fungal serine protease allergens.
  • Penicillium chrysogenum serine protease (Pen ch 13) induces histamine release, degrades occludin, and promotes inflammation.
  • Aspergillus fumigatus serine protease (Asp f 13) exhibits synergistic effects on immune responses.

Conclusions:

  • Serine proteases are crucial pan-fungal allergens involved in allergic diseases.
  • Understanding these allergens aids in elucidating allergic disease mechanisms.
  • This research facilitates the development of improved therapeutic strategies for fungal allergies.

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