University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) - Research portal
Gewählte Doctoral Thesis:
Sandra Pfeiffer
(2022):
Identification and characterization of novel allergens
from fungal species commonly detected in the indoor environment.
Doctoral Thesis - Institut für Mikrobiologie und Mikrobielle Biotechnologie,
BOKU-Universität für Bodenkultur,
pp 152.
UB BOKU
obvsg
FullText
- Abstract:
- Fungal allergy is a worldwide public health burden and problems associated with a reliable allergy diagnosis are far from being solved. The knowledge about allergenic fungal species is limited, especially the contribution of indoor fungal exposure to allergic diseases is not understood. One aim of this dissertation was to study the allergenic potential of two commonly occurring indoor molds Ulocladium chartarum and Paecilomyces variotii. The first allergens from U. chartarum and P. variotii were identified, recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli and characterized, using different biochemical and immunological methods, as folded, IgE-reactive molecules with immunological features comparable to their natural counterparts. Among the allergens identified in both species were enolases, enzymes that have already been described as allergens. A second aim of the thesis was to analyze the cross-reactive potential of allergenic enolases. Investigations on the IgE-reactivity of fungal enolases and enolases present in plant pollen and animal-derived foods in a cohort of polysensitized patients by immunoblots and ELISAs, showed that enolases from different molds are highly cross-reactive, but also possess species-specific IgE epitopes. No cross-reactivity was found between fungal enolase and enolases of pollen or animal-derived foods. A third aim of the thesis was to investigate the impact of different environmental conditions on the expression of fungal allergens, which was studied by immunoblots using allergen-specific antibodies. The results showed that each species has different requirements for optimal allergen expression and the obtained information will help to improve fungal cultivation to produce highly potent diagnostic fungal extracts. Results presented in this dissertation expand the knowledge about fungal allergy and facilitate an improvement in the specificity of fungal allergy diagnosis. They will also form the basis for optimized treatment approaches.
- Betreuer: Sterflinger-Gleixner Katja