ALLERGENS OF AMBROSIA ARTEMISIIFOLIA: BIOINFORMATIC ANALYSIS OF SEQUENCE, STRUCTURE AND EPITOPIC PREDICTION

The aim of this study is to evaluate the possible homology and sequence identity of the main allergenic proteins of Ambrosia artemisiifolia with the most common allergens found in the clinical field in the families of grasses, trees, herbaceous plants, dust mites, yeast, mold, legumes, cereals, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and pets. The analysis of homology and sequence identity of allergenic proteins from A. artemisiifolia with other allergens is crucial for several reasons. Understanding the parameters to be evaluated among allergens allows prediction of cross-reactions, improving diagnosis and clinical management. Molecular characterization helps the development of more effective personalized therapies. Therefore, more studies have been conducted on the two allergens that showed particularly interesting analytical parameters, to verify how relevant these parameters were in the description and in the comparison with other proteins in the allergy field. The aim of the present work of thesis was to investigate further into the search for possible cross-reactivity. Hence, the epitope regions were predicted in the allergens to verify if there were relations among epitopes.