title: Effects of domestic chemical stressors on expression of allergen genes in the European house dust mite.
abstract: The expression of allergen genes in house dust mites is influenced by temperature and relative humidity, but little is known of the impacts of other environmental factors that may alter the repertoire of allergens released by mites in home microhabitats. Bioassays were conducted in concave microscope slides in combination with real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) to analyse gene expression of 17 allergens of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Acariformes: Pyroglyphidae) exposed to three chemical stressors that can be present in domestic environments. Short-term exposure (5-12 days) to diesel exhaust particles (DEPs) (1 µg/cm2), bacterial lipopolysaccharide endotoxin (0.1 µg/cm2) and benzyl benzoate (3.2 µg/cm2), at concentrations exceeding those expected in homes, had no significant effect on allergen transcription. A significant increase in the transcription of allergens Der p 3, Der p 8 and Der p 21 was observed only after exposing mites to a higher concentration of DEPs (10 µg/cm2) over a whole generation. In combination, the present results suggest that the analysed factors have low impact on allergen production. The methodology described here offers a sound and rapid approach to the broad-spectrum study of factors affecting allergen-related mite physiology, and allows the simultaneous screening of different factors in a relatively short period with consideration of the full spectrum of allergen genes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Plant-Insect Interaction, Department of Environmental Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Vidal-Quist
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Plant-Insect Interaction, Department of Environmental Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ortego
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunoregulation, VIB Inflammation Research Centre, UGent, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: B N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Lambrecht
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Plant-Insect Interaction, Department of Environmental Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Castañera
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Plant-Insect Interaction, Department of Environmental Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hernández-Crespo
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000485:Allergens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001565:Benzoates / Q000032:analysis; D040002:Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D007306:Insecticides / Q000032:analysis*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000502:physiology*; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis; D001335:Vehicle Emissions / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D000485:Allergens; D001565:Benzoates; D007306:Insecticides; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D052638:Particulate Matter; D001335:Vehicle Emissions; C006723:benzyl benzoate
keywords: Acaricides; air pollution; allergy; bioassay; diesel exhaust particles; house dust mites; lipopolysaccharide; real-time quantitative PCR