Gene profiling and expression of major allergen Alt a 1 in Alternaria alternata and related members of the Pleosporaceae family

Background Members of the Pleosporaceae family are known as important sources of airborne allergens which are responsible for asthma and allergic diseases. Aims The purpose of this study was to investigate the gene profiling and expression pattern of Alt a 1 in Alternaria alternata and other members of the Pleosporaceae family including Stemphylium botryosum, Ulocladium chartarum, Curvularia lunata, Cladosporium cladosporioides, and Epicoccum nigrum. Methods Alternaria alternata and related genera were cultured on Czapek–Dox broth medium at 25 °C for 21 days. The presence of Alt a 1 was assessed in fungal culture filtrates by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE) and then confirmed by immunoblot analysis. Real-time PCR was carried out for quantitation of the Alt a 1 gene encoding corresponding protein at the transcriptional level using cDNA prepared from fungal RNA. Results SDS–PAGE showed protein bands ranging from 14 to 100 kDa. A 14 kDa band corresponding to Alt a 1 was present in A. alternata, S. botryosum and U. chartarum. The gene expression of Alt a 1 was reported in A. alternata and some other related genera. The Ct mean value recorded for A. alternata strains ranged from 24.70 to 27.84 while it was in the range 23.62–32.09 for other related taxa. No apparent transcription or expression was revealed in C. cladosporioides. Conclusions The presence and efficient expression of Alt a 1 gene in A. alternata and other related taxa indicate that Alt a 1 protein is a major component of the secretory machinery of Pleosporaceae family members, and it may play a crucial role in its allergenicity.