A bovine dander allergen, comparative modeling, and similarities and differences in folding with related proteins

J Protein Chem. 1998 Oct;17(7):657-62. doi: 10.1007/BF02780967.

Abstract

The most important allergenic protein in cow dander and urine is Bos d 2. It is proposed to belong to the family of lipocalins, which are proteins capable of binding small hydrophobic molecules. The allergenic properties of Bos d 2 indicate an interaction between the accessible regions of the native protein and IgE. In this work, a three-dimensional model was created for Bos d 2 by comparative modeling, and features characteristic of outlier lipocalins were observed. The protruding regions of the surface were characterized and used in predicting the possible B-cell epitopes. There is a pocket inside the core and its size is appropriate for small molecules. The model shows a hydrophilic amino acid side chain of glutamic acid 115 on the inner surface of the hole and a phenylalanine as the "gatekeeper" instead of tyrosine, which is common in experimentally modeled lipocalins.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Allergens / chemistry*
  • Alpha-Globulins / chemistry
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Androgen-Binding Protein / chemistry
  • Animals
  • Antigens, Plant
  • Carrier Proteins / chemistry*
  • Cattle
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Protein Folding
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Retinol-Binding Proteins / chemistry
  • Sequence Alignment

Substances

  • Allergens
  • Alpha-Globulins
  • Androgen-Binding Protein
  • Antigens, Plant
  • Bos d 2 allergen
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Retinol-Binding Proteins
  • probasin