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IDENTIFYING IMPORTANT ALLERGENS USING MASS SPECTROMETRY
Impact/Purpose:
The Cooperative Agreement described here is intended to develop a model protocol for the identification of allergens from indoor air fungi. Consequently, the aim of this project coincides with the US EPA's mission of protecting human health and the environment. Fungal allergens are potentially a major source of allergy based diseases such as asthma, which is now increasing at epidemic rates, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The hallmark of allergic diseases is the production of abnormal levels of allergenic antibodies (IgEs) in response to allergens. In the proposed project, we will use a combination of immuno-chemical techniques and mass spectrometry (MS) to identify and/or sequence the allergenic proteins that are found to be relevant to IgE production.
Description:
The US EPA's mission is to protect human health and the environment. Fungal allergens are major potential source of allergy based disease like asthma which is now increasing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at epidemic rates. The Cooperative Agreement (R82833701-0) with the University of Georgia Research Foundation described here is intended to develop a model protocol for the identification of allergens from indoor air fungi. Production of abnormal levels of IgE as a response to allergens is the hallmark of allergic diseases. The Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ioinization (MALDI) mass spectrometry (MS) will be used to examine the allergenic proteins that are identified as relevant to IgE production. Four common species of the indoor air fungi, Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium herbarum, Aspergillus fumigatus and Penicillium chrysogenum will be used initially in the development of the protocol.