B- and T-cell epitopes of tropomyosin, the major shrimp allergen.

The major crustacean allergen characterized from different species of shrimp is the muscle protein tropomyosin. Two shared epitopes corresponding to 47-63 and 150-158 of the deduced amino-acid sequence of the brown shrimp, M. ensis, were identified as IgE-binding B-cell epitopes. A 21-mer peptide spanning the amino-acid residues 261-281 was identified as a putative T-cell epitope capable of reducing ongoing tropomyosin-specific IgG and IgE responses in a mouse model. These observations suggest that peptide immunotherapy may also be effective in the treatment of food hypersensitivity.