Isolation of a CDNA Clone Encoding a Putative Alternaria alternata Alt a I Subunit

Estimations of the incidence of allergies to airborne allergens range from ≈10–20% of Europeans and North Americans [1]. Examination of atopic sera has also determined that 20–30% of these individuals produce IgE to allergens from [itAlternaria alternata [2,3], implicating this mold as an important source of fungal aeroallergens. Effective immuno-therapy using standardized extracts of Alternaria and other molds is hindered by the difficulty in developing reliable standards. High rates of somatic mutation and rapid adaptability to new environments contribute to the extreme variability of different mold isolates from similar species with respect to allergen content and composition [4–6]. Thus, the use of recombinant DNA techniques to isolate mold allergens is of potential benefit, as these proteins may be readily purified in large quantity, and in a stable form.