NOVEL DERMATOPHAGOIDES PROTEINS

1 - 31 . (canceled)

32 . An isolated protein encoded by a nucleic acid molecule selected from the group consisting of:

(a) a nucleic acid molecule comprising at least 150 nucleotides, wherein said nucleic acid molecule comprising at least 150 nucleotides hybridizes, in a solution comprising 1×SSC and 0% formamide, at a temperature of about 50° C., to a nucleic acid molecule consisting of a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:36, SEQ ID NO:39, SEQ ID NO:42, SEQ ID NO:45, and a complement of a nucleic acid sequence encoding a protein comprising the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:33; and

(b) a nucleic acid molecule comprising a fragment of any of said nucleic acid molecules of (a), wherein said fragment comprises at least about 18 nucleotides.

33 . The protein of claim 32 , wherein said protein, when administered to an animal, elicits an immune response against a protein consisting of a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:44.

34 . The protein of claim 32 , wherein said nucleic acid molecule comprises a nucleic acid sequence at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:37, SEQ ID NO:40, SEQ ID NO:43, or the coding strand of a nucleic acid sequence encoding a protein comprising the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:33

35 . The protein of claim 32 , wherein said protein comprises an amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:41 or SEQ ID NO:44.

36 . The isolated protein of claim 32 , wherein said protein selectively binds to IgE.

37 . The protein of claim 32 , wherein said protein comprises an epitope having at least one identifying characteristic selected from the group consisting of:

(a) said epitope is resistant to β-elimination of peptides;

(b) said epitope is resistant to Proteinase-K digestion; and

(c) said epitope is reactive to a test designed to detect glycosylated proteins, wherein said epitope binds to an IgE selected from the group consisting of canine IgE from dogs allergic to mites and feline IgE from cats allergic to mites.

38 . A therapeutic composition comprising the isolated protein of claim 32 .

39 . The composition of claim 38 , wherein said composition further comprises a component selected from the group consisting of an excipient, an adjuvant, and a carrier.

40 . An kit comprising the isolated protein of claim 32 , and a means for determining if said animal is susceptible to or has said allergic response, wherein said means comprises use of said protein to identify animals susceptible to or having allergic responses to mites.

41 . An isolated protein that is encoded by a nucleic acid molecule that comprises at least 50 contiguous nucleotides from SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:37, SEQ ID NO:40 or SEQ ID NO:43.

42 . The isolated protein of claim 41 , wherein said protein consists of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:41 or SEQ ID NO:44.

43 . A fragment of the isolated protein of claim 42 , wherein said fragment is at least 35 amino acids in length.

44 . An isolated protein produced by expression from a nucleic acid molecule comprising:

(a) a first means for encoding a protein selected from a Dermatophagoides mapA protein, a Dermatophagoides mapB protein, a Dermatophagoides mapC protein and a Dermatophagoides mapD protein; and

(b) a second means for promoting expression of a Dermatophagoides protein encoding nucleic acid molecule from said first means, wherein said promotion means is operatively linked to said expression means.

45 . The isolated protein of claim 44 , wherein said protein, when administered to an animal, elicits an immune response against a protein consisting of a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:41, SEQ ID NO:44.

46 . The protein of claim 44 , wherein said encoding means comprises a nucleic acid sequence at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:34, SEQ ID NO:37, SEQ ID NO:40, SEQ ID NO:43, or the coding strand of a nucleic acid sequence encoding a protein comprising the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO:33.

47 . The protein of claim 44 , wherein said encoding means comprises a nucleic acid molecule that encodes a protein comprising an amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:35, SEQ ID NO:38, SEQ ID NO:41 or SEQ ID NO:44.