Molecular Characterization of Arginine Kinase, an Allergen from the Shrimp <i>Litopenaeus vannamei</i>

Abstract

Background: Consumption of seafood can produce allergic symptoms in susceptible individuals and crustacean allergies are the most frequently reported causes of allergic reactions. Methods: An allergen from the muscle of the white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei was purified by ion exchange chromatography and identified by mass spectrometry of tryptic peptides and its specific enzymatic activity. Moreover, the corresponding full-length cDNA was obtained from an L. vannamei muscle cDNA library. Results: A 40-kDa protein was purified and identified as arginine kinase and its cDNA of 1.4 kb encoded a 356 amino acid protein. The obtained arginine kinase was recognized by IgE in serum from shrimp-allergic individuals using ELISA and immunoblotting analysis. Conclusions: This is the first allergen reported for the Pacific white shrimp species; it was named Lit v 2 and has a 96% identity to Pen m 2 from Penaeus monodon.

Identification of the major allergen of Macrobrachium rosenbergii (giant freshwater prawn)

“…In a recent study, an arginine kinase has also been identified as a prawn allergen [20,21] . In addition to tropomyosin, the tryptic peptide fragments isolated from the digested 42 kDa of spot 2 is similar to arginine kinase.…”

“…Besides tropomyosin, arginine kinase with a molecular mass of 40 kDa, termed as Pen m 2 [20] and Lit v 2 [21] has also been reported as prawn allergen. Also, arginine kinase has been described as a cross-reacting allergen among crustaceans and between crustaceans and insects [22] .…”

Characterization of Seafood Proteins Causing Allergic Diseases

“…this protein showed 60% similarity to AK of the crustacean, kuruma prawn (Penaeus japonicas) (Yu et al, 2003). AK was recently reported as an allergen in different crustacean species which was identified in white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) (García-Orozco et al, 2007), gulf shrimp (Penaeus aztecus) (France et al, 1997), chinese shrimp (Fenneropenaeus chinensis) ( Y a o et al, 2005), black tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon) and other shrimp species using a proteomics approach (Abdel Rahman et al, 2010a;Yu et al, 2003). Moreover, AK has been identified in other crab species: mud crab (Scylla serrata) (Shen et al, 2011), and by our group in snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) (Abdel Rahman et al, 2011), where 49% of the participant patient's sera have a reactivity with AK.…”

El camarón como una fuente de alérgenos

“…Este alérgeno presenta 92 % de identidad en la secuencia de aminoácidos con Lit v 2 y Cra c 2 del camarón Crangon crangon, hecho que podría tener relevancia en la reacción cruzada entre estas especies (43)(44)(45).…”