Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Hevein, an allergenic lectin from rubber latex, activates human neutrophils' oxidative burst

  • Published:
Glycoconjugate Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Hevein is an N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) specific lectin that has been hypothesized to participate in the IgE-mediated allergic reactions in patients with latex allergy. In this work we assessed the specificity and biological effect of hevein purified from rubber latex on human leukocytes, using epifluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Purified human granulocytes were stimulated in vitro with hevein, and production of oxidative radicals was measured by reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium formazan. Histochemical staining and flow cytometry showed that hevein recognizes specifically monocytes (CD14+) and neutrophils (CD16+), but not lymphoid cells. Hevein induced oxidative response in purified granulocytes; this effect was 1.3–1.5-fold higher than the effect observed with the lectin WGA (wheat germ agglutinin), or other lectins with different sugar specificity. The induced reactions and cellular recognition by hevein were inhibited with GlcNAc and its oligomers; as well as by glycoproteins containing tri-and tetra-antennary N-glycosydically linked glycans. Our findings suggest that neutrophils are the main target for latex hevein; this lectin induces production of oxidative radicals, which seem to play an important role in tissue damage during latex allergy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ruiz M, Flores G, Orea M, Latex allergy in a population at risk, Rev Alerg Mex 46, 93–6 (1999).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Vila L, Sanchez G, Ano M, Uasuf CG, Sanz ML, Risk factors for latex sensitization among health care workers, J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 9, 356–60 (1999).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Ne A, Gujuluva C, Latex antigens: identification and use in clinical and experimental studies, including cross reactivity with food and pollen allergens, Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 81, 388–98 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Alenius H, Kalkkinen K, Reunala T, Turjanmaa K, Palosuo T, The main IgE-binding epitope of a major latex allergen, prohevein, is present in its N-terminal amino acid fragment, hevein, J Immunol 156, 1618–25 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Ylitalo L, Alenius H, Turjanmaa K, Palosuo T, Reunala T, IgE antibodies to prohevein, hevein, and rubber elongation factor in children with latex allergy, J Allergy Clin Immunol 102, 659–64 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Chen Z, Posch A, Lohaus C, Raulf-Heimsoth M, Meyer HE, Baur X, Isolation and identification of hevein as a major IgE-binding polypeptide in Hevea latex, J Allergy Clin Immunol 99, 402–9 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Garcia-Hernandez E, Zubillaga RA, Rojo A, Rodriguez-Romero A, Hernandez A, New insights into the molecular basis of lectincarbohydrate interactions: a calorimetric and structural study of the association of hevein to oligomers of N-acetyl-glucosamine, Proteins 29, 467–77 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Asensio JL, Cañada FJ, Rodríguez-Romero A, Jiménez-Barbero J, The interaction of hevein with N-acetyl-glucosamine-containing oligosaccharides. Solution structure of hevein complexed to chitobiose, Eur J Biochem 230, 621–33 (1995).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Rodríguez-Romero A, Ravichandran KG, Soriano-García M, Crystal structure of hevein at 2.8 Å resolution, FEBS Letters 291, 307–9 (1991).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Diaz-Perales A, Collada C, Blanco C, Sanchez-Monge R, Carrillo T, Class I chitinases with hevein-like domain, but not class II enzymes, are relevant chestnut and avocado allergens, J Allergy Clin Immunol 102, 127–33 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Mikkola JH, Alenius H, Kalkkinen N, Turjanmaa K, Palosuo T, Reunala T, Hevein-like protein domains as a possible cause for allergen cross-reactivity between latex and banana, J Allergy Clin Immunol 102, 105–12 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Posch A, Wheelers CH, Chen Z, Flagge A, Dunn MJ, Papenfuss F, Class I endochitinase containing a hevein domain is the causative allergen in latex-associated avocado allergy, Clin Exp Allergy 29, 667–72 (1999).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Wright CS. Refinement of the crystal structure of wheat germ agglutinin isolectin 2 at 1.8 Å resolution, J Mol Biol 194, 501–29 (1987).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Karlsson A. Wheat germ agglutinin induces NADPH-oxidase activity in human neutrophils by interaction with mobilizable receptors, Infect Immun 67, 3461–8 (1999).

    Google Scholar 

  15. Monteseirin J, Bonilla I, Camacho MJ, Conde J, Sobrino F, IgE-dependent release of myeloperoxidase by neutrophils from allergic patients, Clin Exp Allergy 31, 889–92 (2001).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Hernández P, Bacilio M, Porras F, Juarez S, Debray H, Zenteno E, Ortíz B, A comparative study on the purification of the Amaranthus leucocarpus syn. hypocondriacus lectin, Prep Biochem Biotech 29, 219–34 (1999).

    Google Scholar 

  17. Ortíz B, Bacilio M, Gorocica P, Montaño LF, Garfias Y, Zenteno E, The hydrophobic character of peanut (Arachis hypogaea) isoagglutinins, J Agric Food Chem 48, 6267–70 (2000).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Pérez-Campos E, Sierra C, Lascurain R, Espinoza B, Bouquelet S, Debray H, Zenteno E, The erythroagglutinin from Phaseolus coccineus Var. Alubia: chemical characterization, sugar specificity and effect on coagulation factors, J Agric Food Chem 45, 3747–52 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Rodriguez A, Tablero M, Hernandez A, Arreguin R, Soriano M. Preliminary investigation of an orthorhombic crystal of hevein, J Biol Chem 263, 4047–8 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Jensen ON, Larsem MR, Roepststorff P, Mass spectrometric identification and microcharacterization of proteins from electrophoretic gels: Strategies and applications, Proteins 2, 74–89 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  21. The TH, Feltkamp TEW, Conjugation of fluorescein isothiocyanate to antibodies. I. Experiments on the conditions for conjugation, Immunology 18, 865–9 (1970).

    Google Scholar 

  22. English D, Andersen BR, Single-step separation of red blood cells. Granulocytes and mononuclear leukocytes on discontinuous density gradient of ficoll-hypaque, J Immunol Methods 5, 249–53 (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  23. Rook GAW, Steele J, Umar S, Dockrell HM, A simple method for the solubilisation of reduced NBT, and its use as a colorimetric assay for activation of human macrophages by g-interferon, J Immunol Methods 82, 161–7 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  24. Spiro RG, Bhoyroo VD, Structure of the O-glycosidically linked carbohydrate units of fetuin, J Biol Chem 249, 704–11 (1974).

    Google Scholar 

  25. Alencar NM, Teixeira EH, Assreuy AM, Cavada BS, Flores CA, Ribeiro RA, Leguminous lectins as tools for studying the role of sugar residues in leukocyte recruitment, Mediators Inflamm 8, 107–13 (1999).

    Google Scholar 

  26. Takasaki S, Kobata A, Asparagine-linked sugar chains of fetuin: occurrence of tetrasialyl triantennary sugar chains containing the Gal ß1,3GlcNAc sequence, Biochemistry 25, 5709–15 (1986).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Cumming DA, Hellerqvist CG, Harris-Brandts M, Michnik SW, Carver JP, Bendiak B, Structures of asparagine linked oligosaccharides of the glycoprotein fetuin having sialic acid linked to N-acetylglucosamine, Biochemistry 28, 6500–12 (1989).

    Google Scholar 

  28. Fournet B, Montreuil J, Strecker G, Dorland L, Haverkamp J, Vliegenthart JFG, Binette JP, Schmid K, Determination of the primary structures of 16 asialo-carbohydrate units derived from human plasma a1-acid glycoprotein by 360 1H NMR spectroscopy and permethylation analysis, Biochemistry 17, 5206–14 (1978).

    Google Scholar 

  29. Montreuil, J, Studies on glycoconjugates. LXIV. Complete structure of two carbohydrate units of human serotransferrin, FEBS Lett 50, 296–304 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  30. Montreuil J, Spatial structures of glycan chains in relation to metabolism and function, Pure Appl Chem 56, 859–77 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  31. Asensio JL, Canada FJ, Siebert HC, Laynez J, Poveda A, Nieto PM, Soedjanaamadja UM, Gabius HJ, Jimenez-Barbero J, Structural basis for chitin recognition by defense proteins: GlcNAc residues are bound in a multivalent fashion by extended binding sites in Hevein domains, Chem Biol 7, 529–43 (2000).

    Google Scholar 

  32. Ichikawa Y, Lee RT, Lee YC, Synthesis of N-acetyl-Dglucosamine derivatives as probes for specificity of chicken hepatic lectin, Glycoconjugate J 7, 335–48 (1990).

    Google Scholar 

  33. Tomioka H, Saito H, Comparison of wheat germ agglutinin-and phorbol myristateacetate-mediated triggering for macrophage H2O2 release: susceptibilities to various macrophage inhibitors, Microbiol Immunol 31, 211–21 (1987).

    Google Scholar 

  34. Styr B, Rocklin RE, Klempner MS, Characterization of the neutrophil respiratory burst in atopy, J Allergy Clin Immunol 81, 20–6 (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  35. Terr AI, Atopic diseases. In Medical Immunology, 9th edition, Stites DP, Terr AI, Parslow TG (eds), Appleton & Lange Press, USA, 1997, pp. 480–2.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Pereira C, Rico P, Lourenco M, Lombardero M, Pinto-Mendes J, Chieira C, Specific immunotherapy for occupational latex allergy, Allergy 54, 291–3 (1999). Received 24 April 2001; revised and accepted 29 August 2001 Specificity of hevein for human neutrophils 345

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Tlalpan D.F., 14080, México

    Enrique Rojas, Claudia Hernández & Marisela Linares

  2. Instituto de Química, UNAM, México D.F., 04510, México

    Paola Llinas & Adela Rodríguez-Romero

  3. Laboratorio de Inmunología, Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, UNAM, PO Box 70159, México D.F., México, 04510

    Edgar Zenteno & Ricardo Lascurain

Authors
  1. Enrique Rojas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Paola Llinas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Adela Rodríguez-Romero
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Claudia Hernández
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Marisela Linares
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Edgar Zenteno
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Ricardo Lascurain
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rojas, E., Llinas, P., Rodríguez-Romero, A. et al. Hevein, an allergenic lectin from rubber latex, activates human neutrophils' oxidative burst. Glycoconj J 18, 339–345 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013621316647

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013621316647

Search

Navigation