About DB Dust Mite
Shuichi Kawashima (1), Atsushi Toyoda (3), Akiko Shibui (1), Junichi Watanabe (1), Sadao Nogami (4)
1)Human Genome Center, Institute of Medical Science, Universitu of Tokyo, 2)Department of Parasitology, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo 3)Genome Sciences Center, Riken 4)College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University
House Dust Mite
The house dust mite is a cosmopolitan guest in human habitation and the multicellular organism that is most closely associated with our life. It is now well established that major allergens causing bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis are dust mites. Dermatophagoides farinae (American house dust mite) and D. pteronissinus (European house dust mite) are two most common species in the Temperate Zone. The tiny arthropod of which adults are 0.2 to 0.5 mm propagates very rapidly under appropriate condition, 25 degree and 70-80 % humidity. Adult females mate only once in life and lay one to two eggs a day for a month or two. They develop to larvae, nymphs and then adults in a month and live about three months. They feed on skin scales (dander and scurf) and other organic detritus, such as bacteria, spores and feathers and produce 20 to 30 small fecal particles, which are highly allergic.
Allergens are enzymes
Many allergens cloned from house dust mites are enzymes. Der f I is a cystein protease. HouseDustMite.org
Dermtophagoides farinae
Dermatophagoides farinae was kindly provided by Prof. Hiroyuki Matsuoka of Jichi Medical University. It was first established in 1968 from the mites found in a food storage warehouse in Kawasaki, Japan by Prof. Manabu Sasa of Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo and has been maintained by Prof. Akira Ishii and then by Hiroyuki Matsuoka using the mothod1 developed by Sasa et al..
Production of cDNA library
The library was produced using the vector trapper method from the sample containing young nymphs and adults. Sequencing was done by Dr. Atsushi Toyoda at Riken.
Sasa, M., Miyamoto, J., Shinohara, S., Suzuki, H., Katsuhata, A.
Studies on mass culture and isolation of Dermatophagoides farinae and some other mites associated with house dust and stored food.
Jpn J Exp Med 40: 367-382, 1970.