Genetic engineering of trimers of hypoallergenic fragments of the major birch pollen allergen, Bet v 1, for allergy vaccination

An immunotherapy trial performed in allergic patients with hypoallergenic recombinant fragments, comprising aa 1-74 and 75-160 of the major birch pollen allergen, Bet v 1, has indicated that the induction of allergen-specific IgG responses may be an important mechanism of this treatment. To investigate whether the immunogenicity of the rBet v 1 fragments can be increased, recombinant trimers of the fragments were produced. For this purpose, DNA trimers of rBet v 1 aa 1-74 as well as of rBet v 1 aa 75-160 were subcloned into expression plasmid pET 17b, expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. The fragments as well as the fragment trimers showed a reduced IgE-binding capacity and allergenic activity compared to rBet v 1 wildtype when tested in allergic patients. Both rBet v 1 aa 75-160 monomer and trimer induced high titers of allergen-specific IgG1 Abs in mice. Interestingly, rBet v 1 aa 1-74 trimer induced a much higher IgG1 response to rBet v 1 than rBet v 1 aa 1-74 monomer. Consequently, IgG Abs induced with the rBet v 1 aa 1-74 trimer inhibited birch pollen allergic patients' IgE-binding 10-fold more efficiently than IgG Abs induced with the monomer. Our data show that the immunogenicity of allergy vaccines can be increased by oligomerization.