System for detecting allergenic species

Abstract

The present invention relates to an allergy-inducing species search system, wherein an allergy-inducing species search system (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a species information collection unit (10) that collects information regarding a first biological species that causes allergies from first public data; an allergen information generation unit (20) that generates information regarding an allergen of the first biological species based on the collected first biological species information; an amino acid sequence information extraction unit (30) that extracts information regarding the amino acid sequence of an allergen from second public data based on the generated allergen information; a similar protein evaluation unit (40) that generates information regarding a similar protein similar to the allergen based on the extracted allergen amino acid sequence information; and a novel allergy-inducing species identification unit (50) that identifies a second biological species that causes an allergic cross-reaction with the first biological species using a similar protein based on the generated similar protein information.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an allergy-inducing species search system, and more specifically, to a technology that uses bioinformatics methods to identify the interrelationships between species that can induce allergic cross-reactions and, based on this, discovers species that can induce allergies. Background Technology

[0003] Allergens (antigens) induce allergic reactions in various species through IgE antibody-mediated responses. Allergic cross-reaction refers to the phenomenon in which antibodies of the immune system react not only to a single antigen but also to other antigens with similar structures. For example, peanuts, a representative antigen, Arachis hypogaea )'s Ara h 1 is structurally soybean (soybean, Glycine max It is similar to the Gly m 1 protein of ), and this is the cause of cross-reactivity between peanuts and soybeans.

[0004] Such allergic cross-reactivity is the cause of allergic patients exhibiting allergic reactions to other species with similar allergens, rather than to a single species. For example, patients with Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS) show allergic reactions to a wide range of biological species, including pollen, fruits, and vegetables. As such, understanding cross-reactivity between allergy-causing species plays an important role in the diagnosis and management of allergies.

[0005] Proteins are composed of 20 types of amino acids, and the sequence of these amino acids determines the three-dimensional structure of the protein. Proteins participate in life processes based on their unique structures. The allergic reactions described earlier are triggered through the specific interaction between antigens, which have unique structures, and IgE antibodies.

[0006] Recently, various bioinformatics tools have been used in the study of allergic reactions. Bioinformatics is a field created by the convergence of biology and informatics, utilizing biotechnological IT to store, retrieve, organize, and analyze biological data. However, conventional biological tools focus primarily on the reactions of individual proteins with IgE and sequence comparisons, which limits their ability to comprehensively analyze the interrelationships and cross-reactivity between multiple species. Prior art literature

[0008] (Patent Document 0001) KR 0-2013-0137581 A The problem to be solved

[0009] The present invention aims to solve the problems of the aforementioned prior art. One aspect of the present invention is to provide an allergy-causing species search system that discovers species capable of causing allergies by analyzing the interrelationships between various allergy-causing species based on information regarding allergens possessed by biological species and protein amino acid sequence information. means of solving the problem

[0011] An allergy-inducing species search system according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a species information collection unit that collects information regarding a first biological species that causes allergies from first public data; an allergen information generation unit that generates information regarding an allergen of the first biological species based on the collected first biological species information; an amino acid sequence information extraction unit that extracts information regarding the amino acid sequence of the allergen from second public data based on the generated allergen information; a similar protein evaluation unit that generates information regarding a similar protein similar to the allergen based on the extracted allergen amino acid sequence information; and a novel allergy-inducing species identification unit that identifies a second biological species that causes an allergic cross-reaction with the first biological species using the similar protein based on the generated similar protein information.

[0012] In addition, in an allergy-inducing species search system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first public data may include information regarding a plurality of biological species and allergens possessed by the plurality of biological species.

[0013] In addition, in the allergy-inducing species search system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the species information collection unit can collect information regarding the first biological species by linking with a web that updates and provides the first public data in real time.

[0014] In addition, in the allergy-inducing species search system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the second public data may include information regarding the amino acid sequence of a protein.

[0015] In addition, in the allergy-inducing species detection system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the amino acid sequence of the allergen may include an epitope sequence to which immunoglobulin E (IgE) specifically binds.

[0016] In addition, in the allergy-inducing species search system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the similar protein evaluation unit can search for the similar protein by evaluating the similarity of the amino acid sequence of the protein.

[0017] In addition, in the allergy-inducing species search system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the novel allergy-inducing species identification unit can identify the second biological species by evaluating the allergic cross-reactivity with the first biological species based on the frequency of the similar protein.

[0018] In addition, the allergy-inducing species search system according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include an allergy-inducing species information generation unit that clusters the first biological species and the second biological species, visualizes the results of the allergy cross-reactivity evaluated by the novel allergy-inducing species identification unit, and generates information regarding species that cause allergy cross-reactivity.

[0019] In addition, the allergy-inducing species search system according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include an information display unit that displays the allergy cross-reaction-inducing species information generated by the allergy-inducing species information generation unit.

[0020] In addition, the allergy-inducing species search system according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include an information storage unit that stores the allergy cross-reaction-inducing species information generated by the allergy-inducing species information generation unit.

[0022] The features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description based on the accompanying drawings.

[0023] Prior to this, terms and words used in this specification and claims shall not be interpreted in their ordinary and dictionary meanings, but must be interpreted in a meaning and concept consistent with the technical spirit of the invention, based on the principle that the inventor may appropriately define the concept of the terms to best describe his invention. Effects of the invention

[0025] According to the present invention, based on information regarding allergens possessed by biological species and protein amino acid sequence information, similarity between protein sequences is evaluated and cross-reactivity is analyzed to identify new allergenic species and cross-reactivity patterns.

[0026] In addition, by establishing data on the interrelationships between potential allergens, it is possible to classify and manage allergens, and contribute to more accurate and effective prediction and diagnosis of allergic reactions and the development of hypoallergenic products. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0028] Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of an allergy-inducing species search system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an allergy-inducing species search system according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a workflow illustrating the process of cross-reactivity analysis of allergy-inducing species according to an experimental example. Figure 4 is a table showing the results of identifying species with proteins similar to the pollen allergen proteins Bet v 1, Bet v 2, and Bet v 3 according to the experimental example. Figure 5 is a visual representation of the cross-reactivity pattern between species according to the experimental example. Figure 6 is a hierarchical clustering diagram based on the similarity of 5,250 species according to experimental examples. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0029] The object, specific advantages, and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description and preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that in assigning reference numbers to the components of each drawing in this specification, identical components are assigned the same number whenever possible, even if they are shown in different drawings. Furthermore, terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used to distinguish one component from another, and the components are not limited by these terms. In the following description of the present invention, detailed descriptions of related prior art that could unnecessarily obscure the essence of the invention are omitted.

[0030] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0032] Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of an allergy-inducing species search system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] As illustrated in FIG. 1, an allergy-inducing species search system (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a species information collection unit (10) that collects information regarding a first biological species that causes allergies from first public data; an allergen information generation unit (20) that generates information regarding an allergen of the first biological species based on the collected first biological species information; an amino acid sequence information extraction unit (30) that extracts information regarding the amino acid sequence of the allergen from second public data based on the generated allergen information; a similar protein evaluation unit (40) that generates information regarding a similar protein similar to the allergen based on the extracted allergen amino acid sequence information; and a novel allergy-inducing species identification unit (50) that identifies a second biological species that causes an allergic cross-reaction with the first biological species using a similar protein based on the generated similar protein information.

[0035] The present invention relates to an allergen-inducing species detection system that identifies the interrelationships between species capable of inducing allergic cross-reactions using bioinformatics methods and discovers species capable of inducing allergies based on this. An allergen is a protein that causes allergies and is an antigen that triggers allergic reactions in various species through IgE antibody-mediated reactions. In the immune system, antibodies react not only to a single antigen but also to other antigens with similar structures; this is called allergic cross-reaction. Since such allergic cross-reactions are the cause of allergic patients exhibiting allergic reactions to other species with similar allergens rather than just one species, understanding the cross-reactivity between allergen-inducing species is crucial for allergy diagnosis and management. Recently, various bioinformatics tools have been used in the study of allergic reactions; however, conventional biological tools focus on the reaction of individual proteins with IgE and sequence comparisons, which limits their ability to comprehensively analyze the interrelationships and cross-reactivity between multiple species. The present invention was devised as a solution to this problem.

[0036] Specifically, an allergy-inducing species search system (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a species information collection unit (10), an allergen information generation unit (20), an amino acid sequence information extraction unit (30), a similar protein evaluation unit (40), and a novel allergy-inducing species identification unit (50).

[0038] The species information collection unit (10) collects information regarding the first biological species. The first biological species is a species that causes allergies, and information regarding it can be obtained from the first public data. The first public data collectively refers to knowledge related to allergy-causing biological species provided by papers, academic societies, research institutions, consortia, etc. Such first public data may include information regarding multiple biological species and allergens possessed by multiple biological species. For example, since information regarding antigens possessed by various biological species is disclosed in the "ALLERGEN NOMENCLATURE" provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS), this can be utilized as the first public data. The first public data may be collected, generated, and stored by a separate data management agency, and the data management agency may update and provide the first public data in real time through the web. Here, the species information collection unit (10) may collect information regarding the first biological species by linking with the web that provides the first public data. For example, through an automation program, the species information collection unit (10) can automatically collect information about the latest biological species that are updated by accessing the web in real time or periodically.

[0039] Although not illustrated, the allergy-causing species search system (100) according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a separate communication module for exchanging data with an external system or server, such as a data management agency. There are no special limitations on the communication module as long as it is a device configured to enable wired or wireless communication.

[0041] The allergen information generation unit (20) generates information regarding the allergen of a first biological species. At this time, the allergen information is generated based on the first biological species information collected by the species information collection unit (10). The allergen information of the first biological species may be the name of a protein possessed by the first biological species that causes allergies. For example, Ara h 1 possessed by peanuts may be cited. The allergen information may be generated by the allergen information generation unit (20) searching public data, or extracted from the first public data collected by the species information collection unit (10).

[0043] The amino acid sequence information extraction unit (30) extracts information regarding the amino acid sequence of an allergen from the second public data. The second public data is knowledge provided by papers, academic societies, research institutions, consortia, etc., and may include information regarding the amino acid sequence of a protein. Here, the allergen information generated by the allergen information generation unit (20) can be utilized. That is, the allergen possessed by the first biological species can be identified from the allergen information, and the amino acid sequence information of the corresponding allergen can be generated from the protein amino acid sequence information of the second public data. Such second public data can be collected, generated, and stored by a separate data management agency, and the data management agency can update and provide the second public data in real time through the web. Here, the amino acid sequence information extraction unit (30) can collect the allergen amino acid sequence information possessed by the first biological species by linking with the web or server that provides the second public data. For example, the amino acid sequence information extraction unit (30) can access a database such as GenBank of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) to collect amino acid sequence information of a protein (second public data) and extract information regarding the amino acid sequence of an allergen from it. At this time, the amino acid sequence information extraction unit (30) can generate an ID that can identify a protein for the allergen based on the allergen information generated by the allergen information generation unit (20), and can extract information regarding the amino acid sequence of the allergen by accessing a database such as GenBank using that ID.

[0044] Meanwhile, the amino acid sequence of the allergen may include an epitope sequence to which immunoglobulin E (IgE) specifically binds.

[0046] The similar protein evaluation unit (40) generates information regarding a similar protein that is similar to the allergen possessed by the first biological species. Here, the allergen amino acid sequence information extracted by the amino acid sequence information extraction unit (30) can be utilized. Since proteins are composed of amino acids and the sequence of the amino acids determines the three-dimensional structure and characteristics of the protein, a similar protein can be determined based on the allergen amino acid sequence. Information regarding the similar protein may include the name of the similar protein, amino acid sequence information, etc. The similar protein evaluation unit (40) can search for a similar protein by evaluating the similarity of the amino acid sequence of the protein. That is, it can evaluate the similarity with the allergen amino acid sequence and determine a protein having an amino acid sequence whose similarity is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold as a similar protein.

[0048] The new allergy-inducing species identification unit (50) identifies a second biological species that causes an allergic cross-reaction with the first biological species. Here, it is based on the similar protein information generated by the similar protein evaluation unit (40). Therefore, the second biological species must be a biological species that has a similar protein. In addition, the new allergy-inducing species identification unit (50) can identify the second biological species by evaluating the allergic cross-reactivity with the first biological species based on the frequency of the similar protein.

[0050] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an allergy-inducing species search system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] With reference to FIG. 2, an allergy-inducing species search system (100) according to another embodiment of the present invention may further include an allergy-inducing species information generation unit (60) in addition to the aforementioned species information collection unit (10), allergen information generation unit (20), amino acid sequence information extraction unit (30), similar protein evaluation unit (40), and novel allergy-inducing species identification unit (50).

[0052] The allergy-inducing species information generation unit (60) generates information regarding species that cause allergic cross-reactions. The information regarding species that cause allergic cross-reactions is data that analyzes the interrelationships between allergy-inducing species, and may be information that clusters a first biological species and a second biological species and visualizes the results of allergic cross-reactivity evaluated by the new allergy-inducing species identification unit (50). Accordingly, the information regarding species that cause allergic cross-reactions may include information selected from a group consisting of the names of the first biological species and the second biological species, the names of allergens or similar proteins possessed by each, the amino acid sequences of the proteins, the similarity between the species, and the cross-reactivity patterns between the species.

[0054] Additionally, an allergy-inducing species search system (100) according to another embodiment of the present invention may further include an information display unit (70). The information display unit (70) displays allergy cross-reaction-inducing species information generated by the allergy-inducing species information generation unit (60). This information display unit (70) may include a display that visually exposes information.

[0056] Additionally, an allergy-inducing species search system (100) according to another embodiment of the present invention may further include an information storage unit (80). The information storage unit (80) stores allergy cross-reaction-inducing species information generated by the allergy-inducing species information generation unit (60). This information storage unit (80) may be implemented as a storage or server.

[0058] Meanwhile, the aforementioned species information collection unit (10), allergen information generation unit (20), amino acid sequence information extraction unit (30), similar protein evaluation unit (40), novel allergen species identification unit (50), and allergen species information generation unit (60) can each be implemented in hardware or software. That is, they can be implemented in the form of digital or analog circuits located inside the system, or implemented as separate chips or modules and connected to the system, or implemented by storing and executing software on internal memory such as SRAM or external memory such as floppy disks, compact disks, USBs, etc. Additionally, they can be implemented in a form that can be programmed by a user, or integrated into other internal modules (e.g., processors).

[0060] In summary, according to the present invention, based on information regarding allergens possessed by biological species and protein amino acid sequence information, similarity between protein sequences is evaluated and cross-reactivity is analyzed to identify new allergenic species and cross-reactivity patterns. Furthermore, by establishing data on the interrelationships between potential allergenic species, classification and management of allergenic species are enabled, and this can contribute to more accurate and effective prediction and diagnosis of allergic reactions and the development of hypoallergenic products.

[0062] The present invention will be explained below through experimental examples.

[0064] 1. Overview

[0065] Figure 3 is a workflow illustrating the process of analyzing the cross-reactivity of allergen species according to the experimental example. The system was designed as shown in Figure 3, and the cross-reactivity of allergen species was analyzed through the following three main steps. Figure 3 illustrates the sequential process of database processing, sequence comparison automation, and data analysis, and indicates the source of each database. In this experimental example, Birch treeAn analysis was conducted on the 8 allergens Bet v 1 to Bet v 8.

[0067] 2. Automation of Species-Protein Data Collection

[0068] Data on allergenic proteins and species were collected from the WHO / IUIS and NCBI databases. Data was automatically acquired for 315 allergenic species, 1,094 allergens, and 1,393 isoallergens registered in the WHO / IUIS database. In this process, GenBank Protein IDs containing protein information for each allergen were extracted through an automated procedure using a Python script to extract and transform data from an HTML-based "treeview" hierarchy.

[0070] 3. Automation of Amino Acid Sequence Data Collection and Sequence Comparison

[0071] Using the collected GenBank Protein IDs, amino acid information for each protein sequence was searched using the BLASTP tool, and species with similar proteins were identified. In this process, similar proteins were evaluated based on BLASTP's E-score, and the top 100 search results were automatically saved for each query (search sequence information). Additionally, a process to remove duplicate species and proteins from the BLASTP results was included to improve the accuracy of the analysis.

[0072] Figure 4 is a table showing the results of identifying species with proteins similar to the pollen allergen proteins Bet v 1, Bet v 2, and Bet v 3 according to the experimental example. It indicates each allergen protein and the species having proteins with high sequence similarity to it. If multiple proteins with high sequence similarity were identified within the same species, duplicate species were removed. Column 1 of the table in Figure 4 shows the results of BLASTP using the representative pollen allergen proteins Bet v 1, Bet v 2, and Bet v 3 as queries. Column 2 of the table is a list of species with proteins similar to the three proteins, with duplicates removed. In this way, 139,300 pseudo-allergens and 5,250 species containing them were obtained for a total of 1,393 proteins.

[0074] 4. Alignment of species information through interspecies similarity analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis

[0075] Figure 5 visually represents the cross-reactivity pattern between species according to the experimental example, with six species ( Ostrya carpinifolia , Betula platyphylla var. japonica, Hornbeam , Betula platyphylla , Betula schmidtii , Betula populifolia The Jaccard indices for ) are shown in a 6x6 table. Of these, two pairs ( Betula platyphylla , Ostrya carpinifolia ) and ( Betula schmidtii , Betula platyphylla The detailed calculation process of the Jaccard index for ) is shown.

[0076] Allergic cross-reactivity between species was evaluated by calculating the frequency of shared pseudo-allergens. Next, interspecies similarity was calculated based on Jaccard similarity, and interspecies cross-reactivity patterns were visually represented through clustering:

[0077] J(A, B) = │A∩B│ / │A∪B│

[0078] Hierarchical clustering was performed based on Jaccard similarity, and cross-reactivity patterns between species were visually represented (see Fig. 5).

[0080] Figure 6 is a hierarchical clustering diagram based on the similarity of 5,250 species according to experimental examples. It is possible to identify allergen sharing patterns among potential or already reported allergen species.

[0081] In Figure 6, a total of 5,250 unique species were aligned through hierarchical cluster analysis, and 13,778,625 Jaccard indices between them were visualized as plot indicators. The similarity between species was measured based on the distance of the “1-J” value, with closer distances represented by darker colors. Through this process, cross-reactivity patterns between species could be clearly identified.

[0083] Although the present invention has been described in detail through specific embodiments and experimental examples, this is for the purpose of specifically explaining the invention, and the invention is not limited thereto. It is evident that modifications or improvements can be made by those skilled in the art within the technical scope of the invention.

[0084] All simple variations or modifications of the present invention fall within the scope of the present invention, and the specific scope of protection of the present invention will be clarified by the appended claims. Explanation of the symbols

[0086] 10: Species Information Collection Department 20: Allergen Information Generation Unit 30: Amino acid sequence information extraction section 40: Similar Protein Evaluation Department 50: Identification of New Allergenic Species 60: Allergen Information Generation Section 70: Information display section 80: Information storage section 100: Allergen Detection System

Claims

Claim 1 An allergy-inducing species search system comprising: a species information collection unit that collects information regarding a first biological species that causes allergies from first public data; an allergen information generation unit that generates information regarding an allergen of the first biological species based on the collected first biological species information; an amino acid sequence information extraction unit that extracts information regarding the amino acid sequence of the allergen from second public data based on the generated allergen information; a similar protein evaluation unit that generates information regarding a similar protein similar to the allergen based on the extracted allergen amino acid sequence information; and a novel allergy-inducing species identification unit that identifies a second biological species that causes an allergic cross-reaction with the first biological species using the similar protein based on the generated similar protein information. Claim 2 In claim 1, the first public data comprises an allergen-inducing species search system including information regarding a plurality of biological species and allergens possessed by the plurality of biological species. Claim 3 In claim 1, the species information collection unit is an allergy-inducing species search system that collects information regarding the first biological species by linking with the web, which updates and provides the first public data in real time. Claim 4 In claim 1, the second public data is an allergen-inducing species search system comprising information regarding the amino acid sequence of a protein. Claim 5 An allergy-inducing species detection system according to claim 1, wherein the amino acid sequence of the allergen comprises an epitope sequence to which immunoglobulin E (IgE) specifically binds. Claim 6 In claim 1, the similar protein evaluation unit evaluates the similarity of the amino acid sequence of the protein and searches for the similar protein, an allergy-inducing species search system. Claim 7 In claim 1, the novel allergen identification unit is an allergen search system that identifies the second biological species by evaluating allergic cross-reactivity with the first biological species based on the frequency of the similar protein. Claim 8 An allergy-inducing species search system according to claim 7, further comprising: an allergy-inducing species information generation unit that clusters the first biological species and the second biological species, visualizes the results of the allergy cross-reactivity evaluated by the novel allergy-inducing species identification unit, and generates information regarding species that cause allergy cross-reactivity. Claim 9 An allergy-causing species search system according to claim 8, further comprising an information display unit that displays the allergy cross-reaction-inducing species information generated by the allergy-causing species information generating unit. Claim 10 An allergy-inducing species search system according to claim 8, further comprising an information storage unit that stores the allergy cross-reaction-inducing species information generated by the allergy-inducing species information generating unit.

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