Structural features of allergens large and small with emphasis on recombinant allergens

The application of recombinant DNA techniques to the study of allergen structure has increased our knowledge of primary structures and B- and T-cell determinants. Thus, knowledge of the molecular bases of isoallergens and allergenic cross-reactivities is about to be rapidly expanded. Findings from the early applications of molecular cloning strategies to the study of some polypeptide allergens, together with a summary of our current knowledge of drug allergenic determinants, are presented here.