title: Effects of CO₂ on Acer negundo pollen fertility, protein content, allergenic properties, and carbohydrates.
abstract: Atmospheric gaseous pollutants can induce qualitative and quantitative changes in airborne pollen characteristics. In this work, it was investigated the effects of carbon dioxide (CO2) on Acer negundo pollen fertility, protein content, allergenic properties, and carbohydrates. Pollen was collected directly from the anthers and in vitro exposed to three CO2 levels (500, 1000, and 3000 ppm) for 6 and 24 h in an environmental chamber. Pollen fertility was determined using viability and germination assays, total soluble protein was determined with Coomassie Protein Assay Reagent, and the antigenic and allergenic properties were investigated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and immunological techniques using patients' sera. Also, pollen fructose, sucrose, and glucose values were determined. Carbon dioxide exposure affected negatively pollen fertility, total soluble protein content, and fructose content. The patient sera revealed increased IgE reactivity to proteins of A. negundo pollen exposed to increasing levels of the pollutant. No changes were detected in the SDS-PAGE protein profiles and in sucrose and glucose levels. Our results indicate that increase in atmospheric CO2 concentrations can have a negative influence of some features of A. negundo airborne pollen that can influence the reproductive processes as well as respiratory pollen allergies in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Abreu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: J C G
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Esteves da Silva
mesh_terms: D031002:Acer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D011058:Pollen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D007073:Immunoglobulin E