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Group V, VI major allergens from grass, including Phlp 5, Phlp 6, Pha a 5 and Lol p 5 This family contains major allergens from various grass pollen, including Phl p 5 and Phl p 6 (timothy grass), Lol p 5 (rye grass) and Pha a 5 (canary grass). They induce allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma in millions of allergic patients worldwide. These group V and group VI grass-pollen allergens belong to a new class of protease-resistant four-helix-bundle domains, which also have internal helix-turn-helix homology pointing to a special type of four-helix bundle topology, defined as twinned two-helix bundle. IgE binding experiments with recombinant Phl p 6 fragments indicated that the N terminus of the allergen is required for IgE recognition. Immunotherapy treatment for these allergies generally involves administration of grass pollen extracts which induce an initial rise in specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) production followed by a progressive decline during the treatment.
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