Isolation and in vitro translation of messenger RNA encoding allergens of the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis.

Polyadenylated [poly(A)+] mRNA was isolated from the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis by oligothymidylic acid-cellulose spin column chromatography and translated in vitro using a cell-free rabbit reticulocyte system. The relative incorporation of 35S-methionine into trichloroacetic acid-precipitable translation products obtained using poly (A+) mRNA was 48.5-fold over control translations performed without added mRNA. SDS-PAGE analysis of the translation products in combination with autoradiography showed that many proteins with apparent molecular weights in the range 14-90 K were synthesized. Immunoprecipitation studies performed using flea-allergic dog sera showed that several of the synthesized proteins corresponded with flea allergens. The allergenicity of the lysates was also confirmed by skin testing.