The Toxicological Intersection between Allergen and Toxin: A Structural Comparison of the Cat Dander Allergenic Protein Fel d1 and the Slow Loris Brachial Gland Secretion Protein

Abstract

Slow lorises are enigmatic animal that represent the only venomous primate lineage. Their defensive secretions have received little attention. In this study we determined the full length sequence of the protein secreted by their unique brachial glands. The full length sequences displayed homology to the main allergenic protein present in cat dander. We thus compared the molecular features of the slow loris brachial gland protein and the cat dander allergen protein, showing remarkable similarities between them. Thus we postulate that allergenic proteins play a role in the slow loris defensive arsenal. These results shed light on these neglected, novel animals.

Keywords

• allergen
• dander
• evolution
• primate
• venom