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Abstract: Aspergillus versicolor is common on moldy building materials. Asp v 13, the principal allergen is produced by strains collected from across Canada. In this paper, we report a 1833bp Asp v 13 open reading frame predicted to encode a protein of 403 amino acids in length with three introns. A BLAST search of Asp v 13, a phylogenic tree calculation and alignment with its homologous proteins from other species indicated that Asp v 13 is a secretory, subtilisin-like serine protease widely distributed in Aspergillus species. His-tagged Asp v 13 was over-expressed in Escherichia coli and purified using Ni-NTA columns with a yield of 1mg/L. Based on immuno binding assay of recombinant protein both antibodies developed against the natural protein, and human sera IgE, the recombinant protein was similar to the natural form. Six IgE- and seven IgG-binding epitopes were also identified with selected human sera along the entire amino acid sequence of Asp v 13. Most residues binding these epitopes are exposed on the surface and correspond to charged regions of the molecule. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Culicoides spp. are vectors of several infectious diseases of veterinary importance and a major cause of allergy in horses and other livestock. Their saliva contains a number of proteins which enable blood feeding, enhance disease transmission and act as allergens. We report the construction of a novel cDNA library from Culicoides nubeculosus linked to the analysis of abundant salivary gland proteins by mass spectrometry. Fifty-four novel proteins sequences are described including those of the enzymes maltase, hyaluronidase and two serine proteases demonstrated to be present in Culicoides salivary glands, as well as several members of the D7 family and protease inhibitors with putative anticoagulant activity. In addition, several families of abundant proteins with unknown function were identified including some of the major candidate allergens that cause insect bite hypersensitivity in horses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]