ANTIGENICITY OF THE OLIGOSACCHARIDE MOIETY OF THE JAPANESE CEDAR (CRYPTOMERIA-JAPONICA) POLLEN ALLERGEN, CRY-J-I

Cryj I, a major allergenic glycoprotein of Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese cedar, Sugi), is the most commom pollen allergen in Japan. Carbohydrate analysis and lectin staining indicated that Cryj I possesses the fucose/xylose-containing N-linked oligosaccharide which previously has been found in some plant gly- coproteins. Rabbit polyclonal anti-Cryj IIgG antibodies were found to be highly cross-reactive with two other plant glycoproteins which have the same type of oligosaccharides, and the cross-reactivities were completely abolished on chemical deglycosylation of the glycoproteins. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay inhibition showed that the majority (up to 70%) of the anti-Cryj I rabbit IgG antibodies recognized the oligosaccharide moiety of Cryj I. The carbohydrate epitopes were found to be only partially involved in the binding of specific IgE antibodies from a pool of human patient sera.