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bioRxiv · 10.1101/505776

Determining the link between alpha-gal-containing antigens in North American ticks and red meat allergy

Crispell, G.·Commins, S.·Archer-Hartmann, S. A.·Choudhary, S.·Dharmarajan, G.·Azadi, P.·Karim, S.
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Abstract

Development of specific IgE antibodies to the oligosaccharide galactose--1, 3-galactose (-gal) following tick bites has been shown to be the source of red meat allergy. In this study, we investigated the presence of -gal in four tick species: the lone-star tick (Amblyomma americanum), the Gulf-Coast tick (Amblyomma maculatum), the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis), and the black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis) by using a combination of immunoproteome, carbohydrate analysis, and basophil activation approaches. Using anti--gal antibodies, -gal was identified in the salivary glands of both Am. americanum and Ix. scapularis, while Am. maculatum and De. variabilis appeared to lack the sugar. PNGase F treatment confirmed the deglycosylation of N-linked -gal-containing proteins in tick salivary glands. Immunolocalization of -gal moieties to the salivary secretory vesicles of the salivary acini also confirmed the secretory nature of -gal-containing antigens in ticks. Am. americanum ticks were fed human blood (lacks -gal) using an artificial membrane feeding system to determine the source of -gal. N-linked glycan analysis revealed that Am. americanum and Ix. scapularis have -gal in their saliva and salivary glands, but Am. maculatum contains no detectable quantity. Salivary samples from Am. americanum and Ix. scapularis stimulated activation of basophils primed with plasma from -gal allergic subjects. Together, our data support the idea that bites from certain tick species may specifically create a risk for the development of -gal-specific IgE and hypersensitivity reactions in humans. Alpha-Gal syndrome challenges the current food allergy paradigm and broadens opportunities for future research.

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Crispell, G., Commins, S., Archer-Hartmann, S. A., Choudhary, S., Dharmarajan, G., Azadi, P., Karim, S.. 2018-12-23. Determining the link between alpha-gal-containing antigens in North American ticks and red meat allergy. https://doi.org/10.1101/505776

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