Isolation and characterization of natural Ara h 6: Evidence for a further peanut allergen with putative clinical relevance based on resistance to pepsin digestion and heat

Peanut allergy is a significant health problem because of its prevalence and the potential severity of the allergic reaction. The characterization of peanut allergens is crucial to the understanding of the mechanism of peanut allergy. Recently, we described cloning of the peanut allergen Ara h 6. The aim of this study was isolation and further characterization of nAra h 6. We purified nAra h 6 from crude peanut extract using gel filtration and anion exchange chromatography. The preparation was further characterized by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-D PAGE) with subsequent immunoblotting. Stability of nAra It 6 was studied by an in vitro digestibility assay as well as by resistance against thermal processing. Sequencing of nAra h 6 identified the N-terminal amino acid sequence as MRRERGRQGDSSS. Further results clearly demonstrated stability of nAra h 6 against pepsin digestion and heating. Immunoglobulin G (IgE) binding analysis and its biological activity shown by RBL 25/30-test of natural Ara h 6 supported the importance of this peanut allergen. Investigation of nAra h 6 revealed evidence for a further peanut allergen with putative clinical relevance based on resistance to pepsin digestion and heat.