Search bioRxiv⌕ Search
Home/Archive/bioRxiv

bioRxiv · 10.1101/087411

Unifying the two different classes of plant non-specific lipid-transfer proteins allergens classified in the WHO/IUIS allergen database through a motif with conserved sequence, structural and electrostatic features

Chakraborty, S.
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

The ubiquitously occuring non-specific lipid-transfer proteins (nsLTPs) in plants are implicated in key processes like biotic and abiotic stress, seed development and lipid transport. Additionally, they constitute a panallergen multigene family present in both food and pollen. Presently there are 49 nsLTP entries in the WHO/IUIS allergen database (http://allergen.org/). Analysis of full-length allergens identified only two major classes (nsLTP1,n=32 and nsLTP2,n=2), although nsLTPs are classified into many other groups. nsLTP1 and nsLTP2 are differentiated by their sequences, molecular weights, pattern of the conserved disulphide bonds and volume of the hydrophobic cavity. The conserved R44 is present in all full length nsLTP1 allergens (only Par j 2 from Parietaria judaica has K44), while D43 is present in all but Par j 1/2 from P. judaica (residue numbering based on PDBid:2ALGA). Although, the importance of these residues is well-established in nsLTP1, the corresponding residues in nsLTP2 remain unknown. A structural motif comprising of two cysteines with a disulphide bond (C3-C50), R44 and D43 identified a congruent motif (C3/C35/R47/D42) in a nsLTP2 protein from rice (PDBid:1L6HA), using the CLASP methodology. This also provides a quantitative method to assess the cross-reactivity potential of different proteins through congruence of an epitope and its neighbouring residues. Future work will involve obtaining the PDB structure of an nsLTP2 allergen and Par j 1/2 nsLTP1 sequences with a missing D43, determine whether nsLTP from other groups beside nsLTP1/2 are allergens, and determine nsLTP allergens from other plants commonly responsible for causing allergic reactions (chickpea, walnut, etc.) based on a genome wide identification of genes with conserved allergen features and their in vitro characterization.

Explore related subjects

immunologyPreprint

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Chakraborty, S.. 2016-11-14. Unifying the two different classes of plant non-specific lipid-transfer proteins allergens classified in the WHO/IUIS allergen database through a motif with conserved sequence, structural and electrostatic features. https://doi.org/10.1101/087411

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related preprints

bioRxiv2026

Spatial transcriptomics of pediatric tuberculosis lymph nodes reveals a conserved hypoxia_SPP1 niche

Pediatric tuberculosis (TB) often presents as primary disease involving the mediastinal lymph nodes; however, its granuloma microenvironment remains poorly characterized because these population patient tissues are rarely available for study. Here, we use spatial transcriptomics to profile 60 granulomas from four children aged 4 to 36 months. We identified nine recurrent transcriptional microenvironments shared across granulomas, despite their marked histological heterogeneity. One macrophage-rich microenvironment showed strong hypoxia-associated activity and secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) enrichment. This microenvironment was present in both non-necrotic and necrotic lesions and overlapped with a Mtb-persistence macrophage signature previously identified in murine TB lymph nodes. Pathway analysis revealed the enrichment of both antimicrobial and regulatory programs within this microenvironment, suggesting partial immune control rather than uniform inflammatory or suppressive activity in this region. SPP1 expression was associated with regions enriched for both M1- and M2-like macrophages, suggesting a macrophage program that extends beyond conventional polarization classifications and may be influenced by the local granuloma microenvironment. We further observed a similar spatial association between hypoxia-associated activity and SPP1 expression in an independent adult TB dataset (pooled Spearman {rho}=0.65) and validated this association at protein level by multiplex immunofluorescence in our pediatric TB granuloma sample. Overall, this study identified a hypoxia-associated SPP1-enriched microenvironment that may contribute to incomplete bacterial clearance and could provide a framework for evaluating host-directed strategies to enhance sterilizing immunity without exacerbating tissue damage.

immunology↗
bioRxiv2026

A Reproducible Pre-Transplant γδ T-cell Effector Signature Reveals Immune-Metabolic Programs Associated with Kidney Allograft Rejection

Despite optimized immunosuppression, acute kidney transplant rejection affects 10-20% of recipients within the first year, and no reliable pre-transplant molecular test exists to identify patients at high risk, independent of the donor HLA matching. Across three independent cohorts of kidney transplant recipients, profiled by bulk RNA-sequencing with T-cell receptor repertoire analysis, flow cytometry, CyTOF with paired metabolomics, we identified a reproducible depletion of {gamma}{delta} T cells associated with rejection: an elevated {beta}/{gamma}{delta} T cell ratio in two post-transplant, biopsy-matched cohorts, and depletion of specific {gamma}{delta} T effector clusters in a third, longitudinally sampled cohort. In this third cohort, {gamma}{delta} T cell depletion was already present at the pre-transplant baseline in patients who subsequently developed rejection and remained detectable across the transplant course, indicating that it reflects recipient baseline immune biology rather than a consequence of graft injury. Longitudinal metabolomic profiling in this cohort identified time-dependent metabolic changes, including in amino acid metabolism that co-occur with the {gamma}{delta} signature and converge with it upon multi-omics integration. At the pre-transplant baseline, {gamma}{delta} T-cell marker expression alone showed exploratory discriminatory value for rejection risk (AUC = 0.69), improving marginally when integrated with metabolomic features (AUC = 0.71); larger prospective studies will be needed before clinical translation.

immunology↗
bioRxiv2026

Enzymatic attachment of antigens to probe immune modulation by skin commensals

The skin colonist Staphylococcus epidermidis induces potent T and B cell responses, which can be redirected against antigens of interest by genetic engineering. However, since many taxa in the microbiome are genetically intractable, the utility of this method is limited. Here, we use recombinant sortase to conjugate antigens to the surface of a wide range of Gram-positive bacterial species, and we show that this non-genetic method can be used to generate protective immunity in vivo.

immunology↗