Anisakis phylogenetic

Phylogenetic studies of Anisakis allergens and their evolutionary interpretation

Juan González Fernández

The birth of the molecular phylogeny and the possibility of choosing molecules to establish phylogenetic relationships among organisms, made possible an interesting field in which it is possible to use these in silico tools to establish similarities among allergenic proteins. Anisakis is a parasitic fish nematode whose live larvae, if they are ingested, can cause allergic reactions in humans. Two Anisakis allergens Ani s 3 (tropomyosin) and Ani s 13 (hemoglobin) have been studied from the point of view of evolutionary medicine. By means of the above mentioned computational tools, we were able to predict the allergenicity of fish tropomyosins (primitive vertebrates) or the fact that nematode hemoglobins have experienced modifications on their surfaces to resemble hemoglobins of their hosts during evolution (molecular mimicry), thus modulating the immune response for their own benefit.

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