Climate changes resulting from increases in temperature and air pollution influence pollen allergenicity, responsible for the dramatic raise in respiratory allergies. Allergies are a complex of symptoms derived from altered IgE-mediated reactions of the immune system towards substances known as allergens. Allergic sensibilization can be of food or respiratory origin; many allergens have been identified in pollens or fruits of different plant species and allergic cross-reactivity can occur in a patient reacting to similar allergens from different origins. Although the link between climate change and pollen allergenicity is proven, the underlying mechanism is little understood. Transglutaminases (TGases), enzymes able to post-translationally modify proteins, are activated under stress and involved in some inflammatory responses, enhancing the activity of pro-inflammatory phospholipase A2, (PLA2). A calcium-dependent TGase activity has been identified in the apple pollen cell wall, raising the possibility that TGase may have a role in the modification of allergens and, when pollen arrives in contact with the human mucosa, the enzyme could be responsible in the transamidation of proteins as PLA2. In Europe a great number of people suffers from apple fruit allergy, but little is known on fruit/pollen cross-allergenicity. Apple fruit allergies are mainly due to four different classes of allergens: Mal d 1, 2, 3, 4. Here we have investigated the presence of Mal d allergens also in pollen to clarify its allergenic potential using a RT-PCR approach both on ungerminated and germinated pollen and we show our initial effort on clarification of climate changes effects on the expression of Mal d allergens. This multidisciplinary approach, aimed to establish the scientific basis for future studies on pollen-food cross allergenicity is supported by the grant “Crossallergenicity” Progetto Strategico d’Ateneo E.F. 2006, University of Bologna.
INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE CHANGES ON POLLEN TRANSGLUTAMINASE: POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT ON CROSS ALLERGENICITIES / Iorio R.1; Pagliarani G.4; Paris R.4; Tartarini S.4; Belotti T.3; Ricci G.3; Tasco G.1; Casadio R.1; Petrelli N.1; Verderio E. E.2; Del Duca S.1; Serafini-Fracassini D.1. - STAMPA. - (2009), pp. 17-17. (Intervento presentato al convegno International Congress: Biogenic Amines: Biochemical, Physiological and Clinical Aspects tenutosi a Bertinoro (Fo-Ces) nel maggio 11-14 2009).
INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE CHANGES ON POLLEN TRANSGLUTAMINASE: POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT ON CROSS ALLERGENICITIES
IORIO, ROSA ANNA;PAGLIARANI, GIULIA;PARIS, ROBERTA;TARTARINI, STEFANO;BELOTTI, TAMARA;RICCI, GIAMPAOLO;TASCO, GIANLUCA;CASADIO, RITA;DEL DUCA, STEFANO;SERAFINI FRACASSINI, DONATELLA
2009
Abstract
Climate changes resulting from increases in temperature and air pollution influence pollen allergenicity, responsible for the dramatic raise in respiratory allergies. Allergies are a complex of symptoms derived from altered IgE-mediated reactions of the immune system towards substances known as allergens. Allergic sensibilization can be of food or respiratory origin; many allergens have been identified in pollens or fruits of different plant species and allergic cross-reactivity can occur in a patient reacting to similar allergens from different origins. Although the link between climate change and pollen allergenicity is proven, the underlying mechanism is little understood. Transglutaminases (TGases), enzymes able to post-translationally modify proteins, are activated under stress and involved in some inflammatory responses, enhancing the activity of pro-inflammatory phospholipase A2, (PLA2). A calcium-dependent TGase activity has been identified in the apple pollen cell wall, raising the possibility that TGase may have a role in the modification of allergens and, when pollen arrives in contact with the human mucosa, the enzyme could be responsible in the transamidation of proteins as PLA2. In Europe a great number of people suffers from apple fruit allergy, but little is known on fruit/pollen cross-allergenicity. Apple fruit allergies are mainly due to four different classes of allergens: Mal d 1, 2, 3, 4. Here we have investigated the presence of Mal d allergens also in pollen to clarify its allergenic potential using a RT-PCR approach both on ungerminated and germinated pollen and we show our initial effort on clarification of climate changes effects on the expression of Mal d allergens. This multidisciplinary approach, aimed to establish the scientific basis for future studies on pollen-food cross allergenicity is supported by the grant “Crossallergenicity” Progetto Strategico d’Ateneo E.F. 2006, University of Bologna.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
