Type:
Whole Allergen
Whole Allergen
d72 Tyrophagus putrescentiae
d72 Tyrophagus putrescentiae Scientific Information
Display Name:
Tyrophagus putrescentiae
Route of Exposure:
Inhalation
Family:
Acaridae
Species:
Tyrophagus putrescentiae
Latin Name:
Tyrophagus putrescentiae
Other Names:
Cereal mite (CABI 2021), mould mite (Jõgi, Kleppe Olsen et al. 2020), cheese mite (Canfield and Wrenn 2010)
Summary
Tyrophagus putrescentiae is one of the Acaridae Family of storage mites, known commonly as the ‘cereal’, ‘cheese’ or ‘mold’ mite. Traditionally associated with occupational exposure in rural workers, storage mites have been more recently linked with non-occupational sensitization in urban environments, causing contact dermatitis, rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma. T. putrescentiae is a common species of mite that contaminates food and is primarily found in stored products with high protein and fat contents, such as cultured cheeses, pet food and dry-cured ham. Importantly, T. putrescentiae is also found in house dust, where house dust mites (HDM) are characteristically found. Allergenic cross-reactivity between storage mites and HDMs is well documented.
Allergen
Nature
T. putrescentiae is a common species of mite that contaminates food. T. putrescentiae is primarily found in stored products with high protein and fat contents, such as cultured cheeses, pet food and dry-cured ham, (4) and is a major pest in cheese houses, nut and grain storage, and commercial mushroom beds (5).
One study looking at contamination rates of T. putrescentiae in storage products found an overall contamination rate of 15.4% with the following contamination rates per category: farina 12.5%, beans 6.5%, rice 0%, cookies 8.8%, mushrooms 33.3%, and pet foods 53.3% (6).
Fumigants and acaricides can be used to control T. putrescentiae but have limitations in food processing. The fumigant pesticide methyl bromide was used to control mites on food but is now banned in most countries (7). Alternative pest control methods proposed include the naturally occurring fat molecules (such as thyme, lemon grass, or rose) (7), irradiation, oxygen-reduced modified atmospheres (4) and extreme temperature control (4, 5).
Taxonomy
Taxonomic tree of Tyrophagus putrescentiae (1) |
|
|---|---|
Domain |
Eukaryota |
Kingdom |
Metazoa |
Phylum |
Arthropoda |
Subphylum |
Chelicerata |
Class |
Arachnida |
Subclass |
Acari |
Order |
Astigmata |
Family |
Acaridae |
Genus |
Tyrophagus |
Taxonomic tree of Tyrophagus putrescentiae (1) |
|---|
Tissue
Mite feces are the most relevant source of allergens (8).
Epidemiology
Risk factors
Sensitization to storage mites, including T. putrescentiae, is an occupational hazard for farm workers (9) and bakers (2). However, approximately 25% of patients sensitized to storage mites have no relationship with farms or bakeries (2).
Environmental Characteristics
Living environment
T. putrescentiae is found in cereal-based stored food products, such as wheat, oats and flour, but has also been found in other food products, including dried eggs, dried bananas, cheese, ham, fishmeal, and dog food (3).
Of 571 UK shop-bought cereal-based food products, 21% were contaminated with storage mites. After home storage for 6 weeks, 38% of 421 food samples contained storage mites (2).
Storage mites are also found in the home; mattresses, soft furnishings, pets and pet bedding are all sources of storage mites (2).
In dust collected from the homes of 125 people, 466 of 500 samples were found to be positive for mites; T. putrescentiae was found in 86% of the homes, with an incidence of 68.8% (10).
Worldwide distribution
Most continents (1)..
Route of Exposure
Main
Inhalation (6).
Secondary
Ingestion and contact (6).
Clinical Relevance
Mites are the sources of potent allergens that sensitize and induce IgE-mediated allergic reactions (11). Sensitization to storage mites causes rhinitis, asthma and conjunctivitis (11) as well as atopic dermatitis (12).
Among 200 patients assessed for rhinitis and/or asthma in an outpatient setting, 123 (61.5%) had sensitization to at least one storage mite (12). Patients with storage mite sensitization had the following disease characteristics: rhinitis (96.7%), asthma (46.3%), rhinitis and asthma (43.1%), conjunctivitis (25.2%) and atopic dermatitis (9.8%) (12).
When compared with non-allergic participants without asthma, sensitization to T. putrescentiae is associated with increased odds of having nasal allergies without asthma, and of having asthma with nasal allergies, but is not associated with having asthma without nasal allergies (2).
Molecular Aspects
Allergenic molecules
Allergens in storage mites include fatty acid-binding proteins, tropomyosin and paramyosin homologues, apoliphorine-like proteins, alfa tubulines and other allergens, such as group 2, 5 and 7 allergens (13). Studies have identified at least 14 allergenic molecules from extracts of T. putrescentiae (13). One of these molecules, Tyr p 2, is considered a major allergen which showed high IgE reactivity in 80% of serum samples from sensitized patients (13). Other antigens include: Tyr p 13, an intracellular lipid transport protein, could bind 6.4% of serum samples from sensitized patients when presented in recombinant form. A α-tubulin was cloned and the recombinant version was recognized by IgE in 29.3% of serum samples from patients sensitized to mites and/or crustaceans. Tyr p 10 in recombinant form was recognized by 12.5% of serum samples from sensitized patients (13).
Table adapted from Allergome.org (14)
Allergen |
Type |
Mass (kDa) |
|---|---|---|
Tyr p 1 |
Cysteine protease |
39 |
Tyr p 2 |
NPC2 family |
15 |
Tyr p 3 |
Serine protease |
20 |
Tyr p 4 |
α-amylase |
58.4 |
Tyr p 5 |
Unknown |
15.2 |
Tyr p 7 |
Unknown |
23 |
Tyr p 8 |
Glutathione S-transferase |
25 |
Tyr p 10 |
Tropomyosin |
33 |
Tyr p 13 |
Fatty acid binding protein |
14.5 |
Tyr p 24 |
Ca-binding troponin |
17.6 |
Tyr p 28 |
Heat Shock Protein 70 |
72.5 |
Tyr p 33 |
α-tubulin |
50 |
Tyr p 35 |
Aldehyde dehydrogenase |
52 |
Tyr p 36 |
Actin binding profilin |
14.3 |
Allergen |
Type |
Mass (kDa) |
|---|
Cross-reactivity
Allergenic cross-reactivity between storage mites and HDMs is well documented; in a European Community Respiratory Health Survey, 8% of people were found to be sensitized to HDMs and 10% to storage mites. Among those patients with storage mite sensitization, 26% were also sensitized to T. putrescentiae (2).
Another study reported that 88.4% (n/N=274/310) of patients sensitive to house dust mites were also sensitive to storage mites; 73% (n/N=227/310) of patients were sensitized to all three species of storage mite studied (Lepidoglyphus destructor, T. putrescentiae and Acarus. siro) (15).
Among 117 allergic rhinitis patients hypersensitive to T. putrescentiae, 97% were also sensitized to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus. Group 2 allergens are thought to be the major cross-reactive allergens of D. pteronyssinus and T. putrescentiae (16).
Cross reactivity between the silkworm (Bombyx mori) and T. putrescentiae has also been reported (17, 18).
Compiled By
Author: RubyDuke Communications
Reviewer: Dr.Christian Fischer
Last reviewed: May 2022
References
- CABI. Tyrophagus putrescentiae (cereal mite) Wallingford, UK2021 [cited 2021 14.12.21]. Available from: https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/55502.
- Jõgi NO, Kleppe Olsen R, Svanes C, Gislason D, Gislason T, Schlünssen V, et al. Prevalence of allergic sensitization to storage mites in Northern Europe. Clin Exp Allergy. 2020;50(3):372-82.
- Canfield MS, Wrenn WJ. Tyrophagus putrescentiae mites grown in dog food cultures and the effect mould growth has on mite survival and reproduction. Vet Dermatol. 2010;21(1):58-63.
- Zhao Y, Abbar S, Amoah B, Phillips TW, Schilling MW. Controlling pests in dry-cured ham: A review. Meat Sci. 2016;111:183-91.
- Eaton M, Kells SA. Freeze mortality characteristics of the mold mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae, a significant pest of stored products. J Econ Entomol. 2011;104(4):1423-9.
- Shen C-Y, Yen C-Y, Chien D-K, Tsai J-J, Yu S-J, Liao E-C. Influence of storage conditions on the infestation of Tyrophagus putrescentiae and prevalence of mite hypersensitivity in Taiwan. Experimental and Applied Acarology. 2020;80(3):381-98.
- Manu N, Schilling MW, Phillips TW. Natural and Synthetic Repellents for Pest Management of the Storage Mite Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) (Sarcoptiformes: Acaridae). Insects. 2021;12(8).
- Erban T, Rybanska D, Harant K, Hortova B, Hubert J. Feces Derived Allergens of Tyrophagus putrescentiae Reared on Dried Dog Food and Evidence of the Strong Nutritional Interaction between the Mite and Bacillus cereus Producing Protease Bacillolysins and Exo-chitinases. Frontiers in Physiology. 2016;7.
- Solarz K, Pająk C. Risk of exposure of a selected rural population in South Poland to allergenic mites. Part II: acarofauna of farm buildings. Experimental and Applied Acarology. 2019;77(3):387-99.
- Gill NK, Dhaliwal AK. Seasonal Variation of Allergenic Acarofauna From the Homes of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthmatic Patients. Journal of Medical Entomology. 2017;55(2):262-8.
- van Hage-Hamsten M, Johansson SGO. Storage mites. Experimental & Applied Acarology. 1992;16(1):117-28.
- Marques ML, Rezende I, Cunha I, Gouveia J, Rodrigues Dos Santos F, Falcão I, et al. Allergic sensitization to storage dust mites: a prospective study of patients with respiratory allergy. Eur Ann Allergy Clin Immunol. 2020.
- Fernández-Caldas E, Iraola V, Carnés J. Molecular and biochemical properties of storage mites (except Blomia species). Protein Pept Lett. 2007;14(10):954-9.
- Allergome.org. Typrophagus putrescentiae 2021 [cited 2021 14.12.21]. Available from: https://www.allergome.org/script/search_step2.php.
- Vidal C, Chomón B, Pérez-Carral C, González-Quintela A. Sensitization to Lepidoglyphus destructor, Tyrophagus putrescentiae, and Acarus siro in patients allergic to house dust mites (Dermatophagoides spp.). J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1997;100(5):716-8.
- Liao EC, Ho CM, Lin MY, Tsai JJ. Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Tyrophagus putrescentiae allergy in allergic rhinitis caused by cross-reactivity not dual-sensitization. J Clin Immunol. 2010;30(6):830-9.
- He W, Li S, He K, Sun F, Mu L, Li Q, et al. Identification of potential allergens in larva, pupa, moth, silk, slough and feces of domestic silkworm (Bombyx mori). Food Chemistry. 2021;362:130231.
