Amino acid sequence of cat allergen Fel d1

This is an addendum to a page on the main website on cat allergen Fel D1. The amino acid sequence of Fel D1 has been ascertained.


Maltese rescue cat - photo by Michael at PoC
Yes you have the Fel D1 too.

The allergen is composed "of two polypeptide chains"¹.

Polypeptide means: short polymers of amino acids linked by peptide bonds.

Polymers are large molecules (macromolecule) composed of repeating structural units.

Amino acids are molecules containing an amine group, a carboxylic acid group and a side chain that varies between different amino acids.

Peptide bond is a covalent chemical bond formed between two molecules when the carboxyl group of one molecule reacts with the amino group of the other molecule, thereby releasing a molecule of water (H2O)

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The two chains referred to above are encoded by different genes. Chain 1 of Fel dI shares amino acid homology with rabbit uteroglobin, while chain 2 is a glycoprotein with N-linked oligosaccharides.

Definitions for the above:

"Homology" refers to an homologous trait. Homologous means any characteristic of organisms that is derived from a common ancestor.

Uteroglobin also known as secretoglobin family 1A member 1 (SCGB1A1) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SCGB1A1 gene.

Glycoproteins are proteins that contain oligosaccharide chains (glycans) covalently attached to polypeptide side-chains.

Oligosaccharides: a saccharide polymer containing a small number (typically three to ten) of component sugars, also known as simple sugars (monosaccharides)

Source:

Amino acid sequence of Fel dI, the major allergen of the domestic cat: protein sequence analysis and cDNA cloning published by PNAS and authored by

1. J P Morgenstern,
2. I J Griffith,
3. A W Brauer,
4. B L Rogers,
5. J F Bond,
6. M D Chapman, and
7. M C Kuo

Definitions:

Wikipedia authors



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