Protein having immunogenicity of cedar pollen, polynucleotide encoding the protein, and use thereof
It is an object of the present invention to provide a protein that can successfully treats almost all patients with cedar pollinosis and can be ingested as a food. That is, the present invention provides a protein comprising an amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO:1 or comprising an amino acid sequence having a mutation(s) in said amino acid sequence, and having an immunogenicity of a cedar pollen; a polynucleotide encoding said protein; a vector comprising said polynucleotide; a transformant comprising said polynucleotide or said vector; and intended uses of said protein, said polynucleotide, and said transformant.
1. A protein selected from the group consisting of:
(A) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence encoded by a polynucleotide comprising the nucleotide sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 5; and
(B) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence having 95% or more identity to the amino acid sequence encoded by a polynucleotide comprising the nucleotide sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 5, and having immunogenicity to cedar pollen.
2. A polynucleotide selected from the group consisting of:
(a) a polynucleotide comprising the nucleotide sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 5; and
(b) a polynucleotide encoding a protein comprising an amino acid sequence having 95% or more identity to the amino acid sequence encoded by a polynucleotide comprising the nucleotide sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 5, and having the immunogenicity to the cedar pollen.
3. A vector, comprising the polynucleotide according to claim 2 .
4. A transformant in which the vector according to claim 3 has been introduced, wherein said transformant is a microorganism, animal cell, plant, or plant cell.
5. The transformant according to claim 4 , wherein said transformant is a plant.
6. The transformant according to claim 4 , wherein said transformant is a gramineous plant.
7. A method for producing a protein, the method comprising expressing the polynucleotide of the transformant according to claim 4 and collecting the protein encoded by said expressed polynucleotide.
8. A method for imparting an immunogenicity of a cedar pollen to a plant, the method comprising introducing the polynucleotide according to claim 2 into the plant.
9. A method for producing a plant body having an immunogenicity of a cedar pollen, the method comprising:
introducing a vector comprising the polynucleotide according to claim 2 into a plant organ, a plant tissue, or a plant cell to obtain a transformant; and
growing the plant body from said transformant.
10. A therapeutic agent or a prophylactic agent for a cedar pollinosis, comprising the protein according to claim 1 as an active ingredient.
11. A method for treating or preventing a cedar pollinosis, the method comprising administering the protein according to claim 1 to a human in need thereof.
12. A therapeutic agent or a prophylactic agent for a cedar pollinosis, comprising the transformant according to claim 5 as an active ingredient.
13. A method for treating or preventing a cedar pollinosis, the method comprising administering the transformant according to claim 5 to a human in need thereof.