cDNA encoding the major mite allergen Der f II

cDNA encoding the major house dust mite allergen Der f II from Dermatophagoides farinae was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction and cloned into E. coli. It encoded a 129-residue protein with a calculated molecular weight of 14,021 D and had the expected high homology (88%) with Der p II including the absence of N-glycosylation sites and conserved cysteine residues. These results are consistent with the high degree of antibody crossreactivity and may help identify the differences in T-cell epitopes revealed for these molecules so far.