Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology
-
Several major venom allergens from different insects of the Hymenoptera order have been cloned and sequenced by different laboratories. These insects include fire ants, honey bees, hornets, yellowjackets and wasps. ⋯ Our studies in mice suggest that recombinant fragments containing regions of sequence identity of venom allergen(s) and host protein(s) show antigenic cross-reactivity. These studies lead to the hypothesis that cross-reactivity of venom allergens with host proteins promotes the immunogenicity of venom allergens in susceptible people.