Ng Judy Kin Wing, Shin Soo Kyung, Xiao Xiaojun, Xiong Qing, Cao Hui, Yuan Ruyi, Sun Baoqing, Liu Xiaoyu, Tsui Stephen Kwok-Wing
School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, Hong Kong.
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2025 Jan;17(1):94-110. doi: 10.4168/aair.2025.17.1.94.
Crustacean shellfish is one of the eight most common food allergens, and crayfish is a highly valued shellfish species for consumption in China. However, the detailed allergen profile of crayfish remains unknown, with only four allergen groups reported in the WHO/IUIS allergen nomenclature database. In this study we aimed to identify novel allergens based on the genome and to reveal its allergen profile for developing better diagnostic tools and treatments.
We assembled the crayfish genome using both long-read and short-read sequencing data and identified putative allergens using the BLAST algorithm based on sequence homology. We employed bioinformatics tools to investigate the expression levels, gene structure, and synteny of these putative allergens. We also applied indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay by using patients' sera to determine allergenicity and utilized proteomic methods to identify novel allergens.
We identified a total of 11 putative allergen groups, including all isoforms or homologs for each allergen group based on the genome and three putative allergens by using 2-dimensional (2D) mass spectrometry. We identified 2 novel allergens, pPro c 3.0301 and pPro c 6.0201, with immunoglobulin E reactivity of 33.3% and 20%, respectively.
By providing a comprehensive understanding of the complete allergen profile, our study presents a foundation for comprehending associated allergy. The knowledge could facilitate the implementation of a components-resolved diagnostic test and preventive immunotherapy based on molecular allergens for crayfish allergy.
甲壳类贝类是八种最常见的食物过敏原之一，小龙虾是中国一种极具食用价值的贝类品种。然而，小龙虾详细的过敏原谱仍不清楚，世界卫生组织/国际免疫学会过敏原命名数据库中仅报道了四个过敏原组。在本研究中，我们旨在基于基因组鉴定新的过敏原，并揭示其过敏原谱，以开发更好的诊断工具和治疗方法。
我们使用长读长和短读长测序数据组装小龙虾基因组，并基于序列同源性使用BLAST算法鉴定潜在过敏原。我们利用生物信息学工具研究这些潜在过敏原的表达水平、基因结构和共线性。我们还通过使用患者血清进行间接酶联免疫吸附测定来确定致敏性，并利用蛋白质组学方法鉴定新的过敏原。
我们总共鉴定出11个潜在过敏原组，包括基于基因组的每个过敏原组的所有异构体或同源物，以及通过二维（2D）质谱鉴定出的三个潜在过敏原。我们鉴定出两种新的过敏原，pPro c 3.0301和pPro c 6.0201，其免疫球蛋白E反应性分别为33.3%和20%。
通过全面了解完整的过敏原谱，我们的研究为理解相关过敏提供了基础。这些知识有助于实施基于分子过敏原的小龙虾过敏成分解析诊断测试和预防性免疫疗法。
